CLASSICS  FOF(CHlLDF\EfJ 


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Greek  Heroes.  —  Frontispiece. 


THE   HEROES; 


OR, 


GREEK    FAIRY    TALES 


FOR   MY   CHILDREN. 


BY 

CHARLES    KINGSLEY. 


tttjj  Illustrations  brt  tht  Jutljor. 


Edited,  for  the  Use  of  Schools,  by 

JOHN    TETLOW, 

Master  of  the  Girls'  Latin  School,  Boston,  Mass. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLLSHED   BY    GINN   &   COMPANY. 
1895. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1884,  by 

JOHN   TF/TLOW, 
in  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


Typography  by  J.  S.  Cushing  &  Co.,  Boston,  U.S.A. 
Presswork  by  Ginn  &  Co.,  Boston,  U.S.A. 


PREFATORY  NOTE. 


A  S  this  edition  of  Kingsley's  Greek  Heroes  is  intended  primarily 
for  use  in  non-classical  schools,  such  explanations  as  are  needed 
for  a  proper  understanding  of  classical  allusions  contained  in  the 
text  are  given  in  foot-notes.  These  explanatory  notes  are  supple- 
mented (see  pp.  v,  vi)  by  a  "Descriptive  Table  of  Greek  Divini- 
ties,1' the  substance  of  which  should  be  fixed  in  the  memory,  and 
by  a  "Pronouncing  Index  of  Greek  Proper  Names,"  which  should 
be  consulted  by  the  pupil  as,  occasion  requires.  Notes  purely  geo- 
graphical have  been  excluded,  as  free  access  on  the  part  of  the  pupils 
to  an  ancient  atlas  or  wall-map  is  believed  to  be  essential  to  the 
intelligent  use  of  these  stories  in  the  class-room. 

In  the  writing  of  Greek  proper  names,  some  changes  have  been 
made  from  the  spelling  of  the  English  edition,  partly  in  the  interest 
of  a  more  consistent  orthography,  and  partly  for  the  correction  of  a 
few  obvious  errors. 

J-  T. 


DESCRIPTIVE    TABLE 


PROMINENT   GREEK    DIVINITIES    MENTIONED   IN 
THIS   WORK. 


Zeus  was  viewed  by  the  Greeks  as  the  king  and  father  of  gods 
and  men,  and  the  supreme  ruler  of  the  universe.  He  especially  pre- 
sided over  (i)  celestial  phenomena,  as  tempests,  clouds,  thunder, 
lightning,  etc. ;  (2)  the  laws  and  operations  of  nature,  as  the  change 
of  seasons,  the  succession  of  day  and  night,  etc. ;  (3)  the  government 
of  states  and  communities ;  (4)  the  individual  welfare  and  happiness 
of  men.  In  Roman  and  modern  literature  and  art,  the  Roman  divinity 
Jupiter  is  often  identified  with  Zeus. 

Hera  was  the  sister  and  wife  of  Zeus.  As  the  wife  of  Zeus  she  was 
the  queen  of  heaven,  and  presided  over  marriage  and  the  birth  of  chil- 
dren. In  Roman  and  modern  literature  and  art,  the  Roman  divinity 
Juno  is  often  identified  with  Hera. 

Apollo  (also  called  Phoebus  Apollo  and  Phoebus)  was  the  son 
of  Zeus  and  Leto.  He  presided  over  healing,  prophecy,  music,  and 
poetry.  He  was  also  the  god  of  the  sun,  and  as  such  received  the 
epithet  Phoebus,  i.e.,  the  Shining.  He  was,  moreover,  regarded  as  the 
destroyer  of  the  wicked,  and  sudden  death  was  viewed  as  the  effect  of 
his  arrows. 

Athene  (also  called  Pallas  Athene  and  Pallas)  was  said  to  have 
been  born  from  the  head  of  Zeus.  She  was  the  goddess  of  wisdom,  of 
warlike  defence,  and  of  agriculture  and  the  useful  arts.  As  goddess  of 
wisdom  and  of  warlike  defence,  she  was  the  special  preserver  of  the 
state,  and  the  protectress  of  heroes.  As  goddess  of  the  useful  arts,  she 
presided  over  the  feminine  industries,  as  spinning  and  weaving.  Athene 
was  the  great  national  divinity  of  Attica.  In  Roman  and  modern  lit- 
erature and  art,  the  Roman  divinity  Minerva  is  often  identified  with 
Athene. 


vi  PROMINENT  GREEK  DTVINITIES. 

Poseidon  was  the  brother  of  Zeus,  and  became  by  lot  the  supreme 
ruler  of  the  sea.  As  god  of  the  sea,  he  could  excite  or  subdue  tem- 
pests, earthquakes,  and  the  like.  The  trident,  or  three-pronged  spear, 
was  the  symbol  of  his  power.  In  Roman  and  modern  literature  and  art, 
the1, Roman  divinity  Neptune  is  identified  with  Poseidon. 

Aphrodite,  daughter  of  Zeus,  was  the  goddess  of  love  and  of  female 
grace  and  beauty.  According  to  some  traditions,  she  sprang  at  birth 
from  the  foam  of  the  sea.  In  Roman  and  modern  literature  and  art, 
the  Roman  divinity  Venus  is  commonly  identified  with  Aphrodite. 

Hephaestus,  son  of  Zeus  and  Hera,  was  the  god  of  fire,  especially  of 
fire  in  its  relation  to  the  mechanic  arts.  He  was  the  great  artificer  of 
the  gods,  and  made  for  them  beautiful  palaces  and  gifts  of  exquisite 
workmanship.  He  was  also  the  forger  of  the  thunderbolts  of  Zeus.  In 
Roman  and  modern  literature  and  art,  the  Roman  divinity  Vulcan  is 
often  identified  with  Hephaestus. 

Ares,  son  of  Zeus  and  Hera,  was  the  god  of  war  and  battles.  Unlike 
Athene,  who  is  the  personification  of  thoughtful  wisdom  in  warlike  mat- 
ters, Ares  delights  in  slaughter  for  its  own  sake,  and  revels  in  the  din 
and  tumult  of  battle.  In  Roman  and  modern  literature  and  art,  the 
Roman  divinity  Mars  is  commonly  identified  with  Ares. 

Hermes,  son  of  Zeus,  was  the  herald  and  messenger  of  the  gods. 
He  was  the  god  of  eloquence,  the  protector  of  travellers  and  maintainer 
of  roads,  the  god  of  commerce,  and  the  patron  of  gymnastic  games. 
He  is  represented  with  a  travelling  hat,  a  magic  wand,  and  golden  san- 
dals provided  with  wings.  In  Roman  and  modern  literature  and  art, 
the  Roman  divinity  Mercury  is  often  identified  with  Hermes. 

Demeter,  the  bountiful  earth-mother,  was  the  sister  of  Zeus  and  the 
mother  of  Persephone.  She  was  the  goddess  of  the  eartli  as  the  pro- 
ducer of  grain  and  fruits,  and  so  was  viewed  as  the  source  of  fertility 
and  productiveness.  Rich  crops  and  abundant  harvests  were  inter- 
preted as  manifestations  of  her  favor,  while  drought  and  famine  were 
viewed  as  tokens  of  her  displeasure.  Demeter  was  worshipped  by  the 
Romans  under  the  name  of  Ceres. 

Dionysus  (also  called  Bacchus)  was  the  son  of  Zeus  and  Semele. 
He  was  the  god  of  wine,  and  the  introducer  and  promoter  of  the  culti- 
vation of  the  vine.  As  the  god  of  wine,  he  was  regarded  as  the  giver 
of  joy  and  the  banisher  of  sorrow.  As  the  protector  of  the  vine,  he 
came  to  be  viewed  as  the  patron  of  agriculture  and  the  promoter  of  the 
peaceful  arts  of  civilized  life.     He  also  presided  over  the  dramatic  art. 


TO 


jmt\  ©hit dveu, 

ROSE,    MAURICE,    AND    MARY 


A    LITTLE    PRESENT    OF 


OLD    GREEK    EAIRY    TALES. 


PREFACE. 


MY  Dear  Children:  —  Some  of  you  have  heard 
already  of  the  old  Greeks  ;  and  all  of  you,  as  you 
grow  up,  will  hear  more  and  more  of  them.  Those  of  you 
who  are  boys  will,  perhaps,  spend  a  great  deal  of  time  in 
reading  Greek  books ;  and  the  girls,  though  they  may  not 
learn  Greek,  will  be  sure  to  come  across  a  great  many 
stories  taken  from  Greek  history,  and  to  see,  I  may  say, 
every  day,  things  which  we  should  not  have  had  if  it  had 
not  been  for  these  old  Greeks.  You  can  hardly  find  a 
well-written  book  which  has  not  in  it  Greek  names,  and 
words,  and  proverbs  ;  you  cannot  walk  through  a  great 
town  without  passing  Greek  buildings ;  you  cannot  go 
into  a  well-furnished  room  without  seeing  Greek  statues 
and  ornaments,  even  Greek  patterns  of  furniture  and 
paper;  so  strangely  have  these  old  Greeks  left  their  mark 
behind  them  upon  this  modern  world  in  which  we  now 
live.  And  as  you  grow  up,  and  read  more  and  more,  you 
will  find  that  we  owe  to  these  old  Greeks  the  beginnings 
of  all  our  mathematics  and  geometry,  — that  is,  the  science 
and  knowledge  of  numbers,  and  of  the  shapes  of  things, 
and  of  the  forces  which  make  things  move  and  stand  at 
rest ;  and  the  beginnings  of  our  geography  and  astronomy ; 
and  of  our  laws,  and  freedom,  and  politics, — that  is,  the 
science  of  how  to  rule  a  country,  and  make  it  peaceful  and 
strong.  And  we  owe  to  them,  too,  the  beginning  of  our 
logic, — that  is,  the  study  of  words  and  of  reasoning;  and 


X  PREFACE. 

of  our  metaphysics,  —  that  is,  the  study  of  our  own 
thoughts  and  souls.  And  last  of  all,  they  made  their  lan- 
guage so  beautiful  that  foreigners  used  to  take  it  instead 
of  ''their  own  ;  and  at  last  Greek  became  the  common  lan- 
guage of  educated  people  all  over  the  old  world,  from  Per- 
sia and  Egypt  even  to  Spain  and  Britain.  And  therefore 
it  was  that  the  New  Testament  was  written  in  Greek,  that 
it  might  be  read  and  understood  by  all  the  nations  of  the 
Roman  empire  ;  so  that  next  to  the  Jews,  and  the  Bible 
which  the  Jews  handed  down  to  us,  we  owe  more  to  these 
old  Greeks  than  to  any  people  upon  earth. 

Now  you  must  remember  one  thing,  that  "  Greeks  " 
was  not  their  real  name.  They  called  themselves  always 
"  Hellens,"  but  the  Romans  miscalled  them  Greeks;  and 
we  have  taken  that  wrong  name  from  the  Romans  ;  it 
would  take  a  long  time  to  tell  you  why.  They  were  made 
up  of  many  tribes  and  many  small  separate  states  ;  and 
when  you  hear  in  this  book  of  Minyae,  and  Athenians, 
and  other  such  names,  you  must  remember  that  they  were 
all  different  tribes  and  peoples  of  the  one  great  Hellen 
race,  who  lived  in  what  we  now  call  Greece,  in  the  islands 
of  the  Archipelago,  and  along  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor 
(Ionia,  as  they  call  it),  from  the  Hellespont  to  Rhodes, 
and  had  afterwards  colonies  and  cities  in  Sicily,  and  South 
Italy  (which  was  called  Great  Greece),  and  along  the 
shores  of  the  Black  Sea,  at  Sinope,  and  K'crtch,  and  at 
Sevastopol.  And  after  that,  again,  they  spread  under 
Alexander  the  Great,  and  conquered  Egypt,  and  Syria, 
and  Persia,  and  the  whole  East.  But  that  was  many  a 
hundred  years  after  my  stories  ;  for  then  there  were  no 
Greeks  on  the  Black  Sea  shores,  nor  in  Sicily,  or  Italy,  or 
anywhere  but  in  Greece  and  in  Ionia.  And  if  you  are 
puzzled  by  the  names  of  places  in   this   book,  you  must 


PREFACE.  XI 

take  the  maps  and  find  them  out.     It  will  be  a  pleasant'er 

way  of  learning  geography  than  out  of  a  dull  lesson-book. 

Now,  I  love  these  old  Hellens  heartily;  and  I  should  be 
very  ungrateful  to  them  if  I  did  not,  considering  all  that 
they  have  taught  me  ;  and  they  seem  to  me  like  brothers, 
though  they  have  all  been  dead  and  gone  many  a  hundred 
years  ago.  So,  as  you  must  learn  about  them,  whether 
you  choose  or  not,  I  wish  to  be  the  first  to  introduce  you 
to  them,  and  to  say,  "  Come  hither,  children,  at  this 
blessed  Christmas  time,  when  all  God's  creatures  should 
rejoice  together,  and  bless  Him  who  redeemed  them  all. 
Come  and  see  old  friends  of  mine,  whom  I  knew  long  ere 
you  were  born.  They  are  come  to  visit  us  at  Christmas, 
out  of  the  world  where  all  live  to  God  :  and  to  tell  you 
some  of  their  old  fairy-tales  which  they  loved  when  they 
were  young  like  you." 

For  nations  begin  at  first  by  being  children  like  you, 
though  they  are  made  up  of  grown  men.  They  are  chil- 
dren at  first  like  you,  —  men  and  women  with  children's 
hearts ;  frank,  and  affectionate,  and  full  of  trust,  and 
teachable,  and  loving  to  see  and  learn  all  the  wonders 
around  them  ;  and  greedy  also,  too  often,  and  passionate 
and  silly,  as  children  are. 

Thus  these  old  Greeks  were  teachable,  and  learnt  from 
all  the  nations  round.  From  the  Phoenicians  they  learnt 
ship-building,  and  some  say  letters  beside  ;  and  from  the 
Assyrians  they  learnt  painting  and  carving,  and  building 
in  wood  and  stone  ;  and  from  the  Egyptians  they  learnt 
astronomy,  and  many  things  which  you  would  not  under- 
stand. In  this  they  w7ere  like  our  own  forefathers,  the 
Northmen,  of  whom  you  love  to  hear,  who,  though  they 
were  wild  and  rough  themselves,  were  humble,  and  glad 
to  learn  from  every  one.     Therefore  God  rewarded  these 


Xll  PREFACE. 

Greeks  as  He  rewarded  our  forefathers/and  made  them 
wiser  than  the  people  who  taught  them,  in  everything 
they  learnt ;  for  He  loves  to  see  men  and  children  open- 
hearted,  and  willing  to  be  taught ;  and  to  him  who  uses 
what  he  has  got,  He  gives  more  and  more  day  by  day.  So 
these  Greeks  grew  wise  an  el  powerful,  and  wrote  poems 
which  will  live  till  the  world's  end,  which  you  must  read 
for  yourselves  some  day,  in  English  at  least,  if  not  in 
Greek.  And  they  learnt  to  carve  statues,  and  build  tem- 
ples, which  are  still  among  the  wonders  of  the  world  ;  and 
many  another  wondrous  thing  God  taught  them,  for  which 
we  are  the  wiser  this  day. 

For  you  must  not  fancy,  children,  that  because  these 
old  Greeks  were  heathens,  therefore  God  did  not  care  for 
them,  and  taught  them  nothing. 

The  Bible  tells  us  that  it  was  not  so,  but  that  God's 
mercy  is  over  all  his  works,  and  that  He  understands  the 
hearts  of  all  people,  and  fashions  all  their  works.  And  St. 
Paul  told  these  old  Greeks  in  aftertimes,  when  they  had 
grown  wicked  and  fallen  low,  that  they  ought  to  have 
known  better,  because  they  were  God's  offspring,  as  their 
own  poets  had  said ;  and  that  the  good  God  had  put  them 
where  they  were  to  seek  the  Lord,  and  feel  after  him,  and 
find  him,  though  He  was  not  far  from  any  one  of  them. 
And  Clement  of  Alexandria,  a  great  Father  of  the  Church, 
who  was  as  wise  as  he  was  good,  said  that  God  had  sent 
down  Philosophy  to  the  Greeks  from  heaven,  as  he  sent 
down  the  Gospel  to  the  Jews. 

For  Jesus  Christ,  remember,  is  the  Light  who  lights 
every  man  who  comes  into  the  world.  And  no  one  can 
think  a  right  thought,  or  feel  a  right  feeling,  or  under- 
stand the  real  truth  of  anything  in  earth  and  heaven, 
unless  the  good  Lord  Jesus  teaches  him  by  his  Spirit, 
which  gives  man  understanding. 


PREFACE.  .  Xin 

But  these  Greeks,  as  St.  Paul  told  them,  forgot  what 
God  had  taught  them,  and  though  they  were  God's  off- 
spring, worshipped  idols  of  wood  and  stone,  and  fell  at  last 
into  sin  and  shame,  and  then  of  course  into  cowardice  and 
slavery,  till  they  perished  out  of  that  beautiful  land  which 
God  had  given  them  for  so  many  years. 

For,  like  all  nations  who  have  left  anything  behind  them 
beside  mere  mounds  of  earth,  they  believed  at  first  in  the 
One  True  God  who  made  all  heaven  and  earth.  But  after 
a  while,  like  all  other  nations,  they  began  to  worship  other 
gods,  or  rather  angels  and  spirits,  who  (so  they  fancied)  lived 
about  their  land.  Zeus,1  the  Father  of  gods  and  men  (who 
was  some  dim  remembrance  of  the  blessed  true  God),  and 
Hera1  his  wife,  and  Phoebus  Apollo1  the  Sun-god,  and 
Pallas  Athene,1  who  taught  men  wisdom  and  useful  arts, 
and  Aphrodite 1  the  Queen  of  Beauty,  and  Poseidon  l  the 
Ruler  of  the  Sea,  and  Hephaestus1  the  King  of  the  Fire, 
who  taught  men  to  work  in  metals.  And  they  honored 
the  Gods  of  the  Rivers  and  the  Nymph-maids,2  who  they 
fancied  lived  in  the  caves,  and  the  fountains,  and  the  glens 
of  the  forest,  and  all  beautiful  wild  places.  And  they 
honored  the  Erinyes,  the  dreadful  sisters  who,  they  thought, 
haunted  guilty  men  until  their  sins  were  purged  away. 
And  many  other  dreams  they  had,  which  parted  the  One 
God  into  many ;  and  they  said  too  that  these  gods  did 
things  which  would  be  a  shame  and  sin  for  any  man  to  do. 
And  when  their  philosophers  arose  and  told  them  that  God 
was  One,  they  would  not  listen,  but  loved  their  idols  and 

1  See  the  "  Descriptive  Table  of  Greek  Divinities,"  p.  v. 

2  Nymphs  are  goddesses  of  inferior  rank  having  the  form  of  beautiful 
maidens.  They  are  associated  with  special  places,  and  take  their  name  from 
the  places  or  natural  objects  over  which  they  preside.  Thus  there  are  wood- 
nymphs,  fountain-nymphs,  sea-nymphs,  meadow-nymphs,  mountain-nymphs, 
etc. 


xlv  PREFACE. 


their  wicked  idol  feasts  till  they  all  caine  to  ruin.     But  we 
will  talk  of  such  sad  things  no  more. 

But  at  the  time  of  which  this  little  book  speaks  they 
,  had  not  fallen  as  low  as  that.  They  worshipped  no  idols, 
as  far  as  I  can  find  ;  and  they  still  believed  in  the  last  six 
of  the  ten  commandments,  and  knew  well  what  was  right 
and  what  was  wrong.  And  they  believed  (and  that  was 
what  gave  them  courage)  that  the  gods  loved  men  and 
taught  them,  and  that  without  the  gods  men  were  sure  to 
come  to  ruin.  And  in  that  they  were  right  enough,  as  we 
know,  — more  right  even  than  they  thought ;  for  without 
God  we  can  do  nothing,  and  all  wisdom  comes  from  him 

Now  you  must  not  think  of  them  in  this  book  as  learned 
men,  living  in  great  cities,  such  as  they  were  afterwards 
when    they    wrought    all    their    beautiful    works,    but    as 
country  people,  living  in  farms  and  walled  villages,  in  a 
simple,  hard-working  way ;  so  that  the  greatest  kings  and 
heroes  cooked  their  own  meals  and.  thought  it  no  shame, 
and  made  their  own  ships  and  weapons,  and  fed  and  har- 
nessed their  own   horses;    and   the  queens   worked   with 
their  maid-servants,  and  did  all  the  business  of  the  house, 
and   spun,   and  wove,   and  embroidered,   and    made   their 
husbands'  clothes  and  their  own.      So  that  a  man  was  hon- 
ored among  them,  not  because  he  happened  to  be  rich   but 
according  to  his  skill,  and  his  strength,  and  courage,'  and 
the  number  of  things  which  he  could  do.     For  they  were 
but  grown-up  children,  though  they  were  right  noble  chil- 
dren too  ;  and  it  was  with  them  as  it  is  now  at  school,  the 
strongest  and  cleverest  boy,  though  he  be  poor,  leads  all 
the  rest. 

Now  while  they  were  young  and  simple  they  loved  fairy 
tales,  as  you  do  now.  All  nations  do  so  when  they  are 
young;  our   old  forefathers   did,  and   called   their  stories 


PREFACE.  XV 

"  Sagas."  I  will  read  you  some  of  them  some  day,  —  some 
of  the  Eddas,1  and  the  Voluspa,2  and  Beowulf,3  and  the 
noble  old  Romances.  The  old  Arabs  again  had  their  tales, 
which  we  now  call  "  The  Arabian  Nights."  The  old 
Romans  had  theirs,  and  they  called  them  "  Fabulse,"  from 
which  our  word  "fable  "  comes  ;  but  the  old  Hellens  called 
theirs  "  Mythoi,"  from  which  our  new  word  "myth"  is 
taken.  But  next  to  those  old  Romances,  which  were 
written  in  the  Christian  middle  age,  there  are  no  fairy  tales 
like  these  old  Greek  ones  for  beauty,  and  wisdom,  and 
truth,  and  for  making  children  love  noble  deeds,  and  trust 
in  God  to  help  them  through. 

'  Now  why  have  I  called  this  book  "  The  Heroes "  ? 
Because  that  was  the  name  which  the  Hellens  gave  to  men 
who  were  brave,  and  skilful,  and  dare  do  more  than  other 
men.  At  first,  I  think,  that  was  all  it  meant ;  but  after  a 
time  it  came  to  mean  something  more  :  it  came  to  mean 
men  who  helped  their  country ;  men,  in  those  old  times 
when  the  country  was  half  wild,  who  killed  fierce  beasts 
and  evil  men,  and  drained  swamps,  and  founded  towns,  and 
therefore  after  they  were  dead  were  honored  because  they 
had  left  their  country  better  than  they  found  it.  And  we 
call  such  a  man  a  hero  in  English  to  this  day,  and  call  it  a 
"heroic"  thing  to  suffer  pain  and  grief  that  we  may  do 
good  to  our  fellow-men.  We  may  all  do  that,  my  children, 
boys  and  girls  alike  ;  and  we  ought  to  do  it,  for  it  is  easier 
now  than  ever,  and  safer,  and  the  path  more  clear.  But 
you  shall  hear  how  the  Hellens  said  their  heroes  worked 

1  Two  ancient  collections  of  Scandinavian  sagas,  one  in  poetry,  the  other 
chiefly  in  prose,  illustrating  the  mythology  of  the  northern  nations. 

2  An  old  Norse  poem  which  forms  a  part  of  the  older  Edda;   it  gives  an 
account  of  the  creation  and  destruction  of  the  world. 

3  A  celebrated  Anglo-Saxon  epic  poem  recounting  the  exploits  of  a  semi- 
fabulous  hero,  BeowuI/(Bt-orvnx\r). 


xvi  PREFACE. 


three  thousand  years  ago.  The  stories  are  not  all  true,  of 
course,  nor  half  of  them  ;  you  are  not  simple  enough  to 
fancy  that ;  but  the  meaning  of  them  is  true,  and  true 
forever,  and  that  is,  —  u  Do  right,  and  God  will  help  you." 


Farley  Court, 

Advent,  1855. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Prefatory  Note iii 

Descriptive  Table  of  Greek  Divinities    ....  v 

Author's  Preface ix 


STORY  I.  — PERSEUS. 

Part  I.  —  How   Perseus   and   his   Mother   came  to   Seri- 

phus I 

II.  —  How  Perseus  vowed  a  rash  Vow      ...  6 

III.  —  How  Perseus  slew  the  Gorgon  ...       17 

IV.  —  How  Perseus  came  to  the  .tEthiops         .        .  27 
V.  —  How  Perseus  came  Home  again   .        .        .        .39 

STORY   II.  — THE   ARGONAUTS. 

Part  I.  —  How  the  Centaur  trained  the  Heroes  on  Pelion      47 
II.  —  How  Jason  lost  his  Sandal  in  Anaurus      .        .       57 

III.  —  HOW   THEY    BUILT   THE    SHIP    ArCO    IN    lOLCUS  .  66 

IV.  —  How  the  Argonauts  sailed  to  Colchis       .         .71 
V.  —  How    the    Argonauts    were    driven    into    the 

unknown  Sea 95 

VI.  —  What  was  the  End  of  the  Heroes    .        .        .120 


xvill  CONTENTS. 

STORY   III.  — THESEUS. 


PAGE 


Part  I.  —  How  Theseus  lifted  the  Stone        .        .  .         125 
1    II.  —  How  Theseus  slew  the  Devourers  of  Men        .     130 

III.  —  How  Theseus  slew  the  Minotaur    .        .  .        155  » 

IV.  —  How  Theseus  fell  by  his  Pride  .        .        .        .160 


STORY  I. -PERSEUS. 


STORY    L  — PERSEUS. 
PART    I. 

MOW    PERSEUS    AND    HIS    MOTHER    CAME    TO    SERIPHUS. 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  were  two  princes  who  were 
twins.  Their  names  were  Acrisius  and  Proetus, 
and  they  lived  in  the  pleasant  vale  of  Argos,  far  away  in 
Hellas.  They  had  fruitful  meadows  and  vineyards,  sheep 
and  oxen,  great  herds  of  horses  feeding  down  in  Lerna 
Fen,  and  all  that  men  could  need  to  make  them  blest  ; 
and  yet  they  were  wretched,  because  they  were  jealous  of 
each  other.  From  the  moment  they  were  born  they 
began  to  quarrel ;  and  when  they  grew  up,  each  tried  to 
take  away  the  other's  share  of  the  kingdom,  and  keep  all 
for  himself.  So,  first  Acrisius  drove  out  Proetus;  and  he 
went  across  the  seas,  and  brought  home  a  foreign  princess 
for  his  wife,  and  foreign  warriors  to  help  him,  who  were 
called  Cyclopes1;  and  drove  out  Acrisius  in  his  turn;  and 
then  they  fought  a  long  while  up  and  down  the  land,  till 
the  quarrel  was  settled ;  and  Acrisius  took  Argos  and  one- 
half  the  land,  and  Proetus  took  Tiryns  and  the  other  half. 
And  Proetus  and  his  Cyclopes  built  around  Tiryns  great 
walls  of  unhewn  stone,  which  are  standing  to  this  day. 
But  there  came  a  prophet  to  that  hard-hearted  Acrisius, 

1  A  Thracian  tribe,  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  one-eyed  giants  men- 
tioned later. 


2  PERSEUS. 

and  prophesied  against  him,  and  said:  "Because  you  have 
risen  up  against  your  own  blood,  your  own  blood  shall  rise 
up  against  you;  because  you  have  sinned  against  your 
kindred,  by  your  kindred  you  shall  be  punished.  Your 
daughter  Danae  shall  bear  a  son,  and  by  that  son's  hand 
you  shall  die.  So  the  gods  have  ordained,  and  it  will 
surely  come  to  pass." 

And  at  that  Acrisius  was  very  much  afraid ;  but  he  did 
not  mend  his  ways.  He  had  been  cruel  to  his  own  family; 
and,  instead  of  repenting  and  being  kind  to  them,  he  went 
on  to  be  more  cruel  than  ever;  for  he  shut  up  his  fair 
daughter  Danae  in  a  cavern  underground,  lined  with  brass, 
that  no  one  might  come  near  her.  So  he  fancied  himself 
more  cunning  than  the  gods ;  but  you  will  see  presently 
whether  he  was  able  to  escape  them. 

Now  it  came  to  pass  that  in  time  Danae  bore  a  son ; 
so  beautiful  a  babe  that  any  but  King  Acrisius  would  have 
had  pity  on  it.  But  he  had  no  pity.  For  he  took  Danae 
and  her  babe  down  to  the  sea-shore,  and  put  them  into  a 
great  chest,  and  thrust  them  out  to  sea,  for  the  winds  and 
the  waves  to  cany  them  whithersoever  they  would. 

The  north-west  wind  blew  freshly  out  of  the  blue  moun- 
tains, and  down  the  pleasant  vale  of  Argos,  and  away  and 
out  to  sea.  And  away  and  out  to  sea  before  it  floated 
the  mother  and  her  babe,  while  all  who  watched  them 
wept,  save  that  cruel  father,  King  Acrisius. 

So  they  floated  on  and  on,  and  the  chest  danced  up  and 
down  upon  the  billows,  and  the  baby  slept  upon  its 
mother's  breast  ;  but  the  poor  mother  could  not  sleep, 
but  watched  and  wept,  and  she  sang  to  her  baby  as  they 
floated ;  and  the  song  which  she  sang  you  shall  learn 
yourself  some  day. 

And  now  they  are  past  the  last  blue  headland,  and  in 


Greek  Heroes.  —  Pace  2. 


PERSEUS.  3 

the  open  sea;  and  there  is  nothing  round  them  but  the 
waves,  and  the  sky,  and  the  wind.  But  the  waves  are 
gentle,  and  the  sky  is  clear,  and  the  breeze  is  tender  and 
low  ;  for  these  are  the  days  when  Halcyone  and  Ceyx 
build  their  nests,  and  no  storms  ever  ruffle  the  pleasant 
summer  sea. 

And  who  were  Halcyone  and  Ceyx?  You  shall  hear 
while  the  chest  floats  on.  Halcyone  was  a  fairy  maiden, 
the  daughter  of  the  beach  and  of  the  wind.  And  she 
loved  a  sailor  boy,  and  married  him ;  and  none  on  earth 
were  so  happy  as  the).  But  at  last  Ceyx  was  wrecked ; 
and  before  he  could  swim  to  the  shore,  the  billows  swal- 
lowed him  up.  And  Halcyone  saw  him  drowning,  and 
leapt  into  the  sea  to  him ;  but  in  vain.  Then  the  Immor- 
tals took  pity  on  them  both,  and  changed  them  into  two 
fair  sea-birds;  and  now  they  build  a  floating  nest  every 
year,  and  sail  up  and  down  happily  forever,  upon  the 
pleasant  seas  of  Greece. 

So  a  night  passed  and  a  day ;  and  a  long  day  it  was  for 
Danae ;  and  another  night  and  day  beside,  till  Danae  was 
faint  with  hunger  and  weeping,  and  yet  no  land  appeared. 
And  all  the  while  the  babe  slept  quietly  ;  and  at  last  poor 
Danae  dropped  her  head  and  fell  asleep  likewise,  with  her 
cheek  against  her  babe's. 

After  a  while  she  awakened  suddenly  ;  for  the  chest 
was  jarring  and  grinding,  and  the  air  was  full  of  sound. 
She  looked  up,  and  over  her  head  were  mighty  cliffs,  all 
red  in  the  setting  sun,  and  around  her  rocks  and  breakers, 
and  flying  flakes  of  foam.  She  clasped  her  hands  together, 
and  shrieked  aloud  for  help.  And  when  she  cried,  help 
met  her ;  for  now  there  came  over  the  rocks  a  tall  and 
stately  man,  and  looked  down  wondering  upon  poor  Danae 
tossing  about  in  the  chest  among  the  waves. 


4  PERSEUS. 

He  wore  a  rough  cloak  of  frieze,  and  >on  his  head  a 
broad  hat  to  shade  his  face ;  in  his  hand  he  carried  a  tri- 
dent for  spearing  fish,  and  over  his  shoulder  was  a  casting- 
net  ;  but  Danae  could  see  that  he  was  no  common  man 
by  his  stature,  and  his  walk,  and  his  flowing  golden  hair 
and  beard  ;  and  by  the  two  servants  who  came  behind 
him,  carrying  baskets  for  his  fish.  But  she  had  hardly 
time  to  look  at  him,  before  he  had  laid  aside  his  trident, 
and  leapt  clown  the  rocks,  and  thrown  his  casting-net  so 
surely  over  Danae  and  the  chest,  that  he  drew  it,  and  her, 
and  the  baby,  safe  upon  a  ledge  of  rock. 

Then  the  fisherman  took  Danae  by  the  hand,  and  lifted 
her  out  of  the  chest,  and  said  :  — 

"  O,  beautiful  damsel,  what  strange  chance  has  brought 
you  to  this  island  in  so  frail  a  ship  ?  Who  are  you,  and 
whence  ?  Surely  you  are  some  king's  daughter  ;  and  this 
boy  has  somewhat  more  than  mortal." 

And  as  he  spoke,  he  pointed  to  the  babe ;  for  its  face 
shone  like  the  morning  star. 

But  Danae  only  held  down  her  head,  and  sobbed 
out :  — 

"Tell  me  to  what  land  I  have  come,  unhappy  that  I 
am  ;  and  among  what  men  I  have  fallen  ? " 

And  he  said:  "This  isle  is  called  Seriphus,  and  I  am 
a  Hellen,  and  dwell  in  it.  I  am  the  brother  of  Polydectes 
the  king ;  and  men  call  me  Dictys  the  netter,  because  I 
catch  the  fish  of  the  shore." 

Then  Danae  fell  down  at  his  feet,  and  embraced  his 
knees,  and  cried  :  — 

"  Oh,  sir,  have  pity  upon  a  stranger,  whom  a  cruel  doom 
has  driven  to  your  land ;  and  let  me  live  in  your  house  as 
a  servant ;  but  treat  me  honorably,  for  I  was  once  a  king's 
daughter,  and  this  my  boy  (as  you  have  truly  said)  ;s  of 


PERSEUS.  5 

no  common  race.  I  will  not  be  a  charge  to  you,  or  eat  the 
bread  of  idleness ;  for  I  am  more  skilful  in  weaving  and 
embroidery  than  all  the  maidens  of  my  land." 

And  she  was  going  on  ;  but  Dictys  stopped  her,  and 
raised  her  up,  and  said  :  — 

"  My  daughter,  I  am  old,  and  my  hairs  are  growing  gray  ; 
while  I  have  no  children  to  make  my  home  cheerful. 
Come  with  me,  then,  and  you  shall  be  a  daughter  to  me 
and  to  my  wife,  and  this  babe  shall  be  our  grandchild. 
For  I  fear  the  gods,  and  show  hospitality  to  all  strangers ; 
knowing  that  good  deeds,  like  evil  ones,  always  return  to 
those  who  do  them." 

So  Danae  was  comforted,  and  went  home  with  Dictys 
the  good  fisherman,  and  was  a  daughter  to  him  and  to  his 
wife,  till  fifteen  years  were  past. 


PERSEUS. 


PART    IT. 

HOW    PERSEUS    VOWEI>   A    RASH    VOW. 

Fifteen  years  were  past  and  gone,  and  the  babe  was 
now  grown  to  be,  a  tall  lad  and  a  sailor,  and  went  many 
voyages  after  merchandise  to  the  islands  round.  His 
mother  called  him  Perseus  :  but  all  the  people  in  Seriphus 
said  that  he  was  not  the  son  of  mortal  man,  and  called 
him  the  son  of  Zeus,  the  king  of  the  Immortals.  For 
though  he  was  but  fifteen,  he  was  taller  by  a  head  than 
any  man  in  the  island ;  and  he  was  the  most  skilful  of  all 
in  running  and  wrestling  and  boxing,  and  in  throwing  the 
quoit  and  the  javelin,  and  in  rowing  with  the  oar,  and  in 
playing  on  the  harp,  and  in  all  which  befits  a  man.  And 
he  was  brave  and  truthful,  gentle  and  courteous,  for  good 
old  Dictys  had  trained  him  well  ;  and  well  it  was  for 
Perseus  that  he  had  done  so.  For  now  Danae  and  her 
son  fell  into  great  danger,  and  Perseus  had  need  of  all 
his  wit  to  defend  his  mother  and  himself. 

I  said  that  Dictys's  brother  was  Polydectes,  king  of  the 
island.  He  was  not  a  righteous  man,  like  Dictys  :  but 
greedy,  and  cunning,  and  cruel.  And  when  he  saw  fair 
Danae,  he  wanted  to  marry  her.  But  she  would  not ;  for 
she  did  not  love  him,  and  cared  for  no  one  but  her  boy, 
and  her  boy's  father,  whom  she  never  hoped  to  see  again. 
At  last  Polydectes  became  furious ;  and  while  Perseus  was 
away  at  sea,  he  took  poor  Danae  away  from  Dictys,  saying, 
"  If  you  will  not  be  my  wife,  you  shall  be  my  slave."  So 
Danae  wTas  made  a  slave,  and  had  to  fetch  water  from  the 


PERSEUS.  7 

well,  and  grind  in  the  mill,  and  perhaps  was  beaten,  and 
wore  a  heavy  chain,  because  she  would  not  marry  that 
cruel  king.  But  Perseus  was  far  away  over  the  seas  in 
the  isle  of  Samos,  little  thinking  how  his  mother  was 
languishing  in  grief. 

Now  one  day  at  Samos,  while  the  ship  was  lading, 
Perseus  wandered  into  a  pleasant  wood  to  get  out  of  the 
sun,  and  sat  down  on  the  turf,  and  fell  asleep.  And  as  he 
slept,  a  strange  dream  came  to  him  ;  the  strangest  dream 
which  he  had  ever  had  in  his  life. 

There  came  a  lady  to  him  through  the  wood,  taller  than 
he,  or  any  mortal  man  :  but  beautiful  exceedingly,  with 
great  gray  eyes,  clear  and  piercing,  but  strangely  soft  and 
mild.  On  her  head  was  a  helmet,  and  in  her  hand  a  spear. 
And  over  her  shoulder,  above  her  long  blue  robes,  hung  a 
goatskin,  which  bore  up  a  mighty  shield  of  brass,  polished 
like  a  mirror.  She  stood  and  looked  at  him  with  her  clear 
gray  eyes  ;  and  Perseus  saw  that  her  eyelids  never  moved, 
nor  her  eyeballs,  but  looked  straight  through  and  through 
him,  and  into  his  very  heart,  as  if  she  could  see  all  the 
secrets  of  his  soul,  and  knew  all  that  he  had  ever  thought 
or  longed  for  since  the  day  that  he  was  born.  And 
Perseus  dropped  his  eyes,  trembling  and  blushing,  as  the 
wonderful  lady  spoke. 

"Perseus,  you  must  do  an  errand  for  me." 
"  Who  are  you,  lady  ?  and  how  do  you  know  my  name  ?  " 
"  I  am  Pallas  Athene,  and  I  know  the  thoughts  of  all 
men's  hearts,  and  discern  their  manhood  or  their  baseness. 
And  from  the  souls  of  clay  I  turn  away  ;  and  they  are 
blest,  but  not  by  me.  They  fatten  at  ease  like  sheep  in 
the  pasture,  and  eat  what  they  did  not  sow,  like  oxen  in 
the  stall.  They  grow  and  spread  like  the  gourd  along  the 
ground  ;  but,  like  the   gourd,   they  give   no   shade  to  the 


8  PERSEUS. 

traveller ;  and  when  they  are  ripe  death  gathers  them,  and 
they  go  down  unloved  into  hell,  and  their  name  vanishes 
out  of  the  land. 

"  But  to  the  souls  of  fire  I  give  more  fire,  and  to  those 
who  are  manful  I  give  a  might  more  than  man's.  These 
are  the  heroes,  the  sons  of  the  Immortals,  who  are  blest, 
but  not  like  the  souls  of  clay.  For  I  drive  them  forth  by 
strange  paths,  Perseus,  that  they  may  fight  the  Titans 3 
and  the  monsters,  the  enemies  of  gods  and  men.  Through 
doubt  and  need,  clanger  and  battle,  I  drive  them  ;  and  some 
of  them  are  slain  in  the  flower  of  youth,  no  man  knows 
when  or  where  ;  and  some  of  them  win  noble  names  and 
a  fair  and  green  old  age  ;  but  what  will  be  their  latter  end 
I  know  not,  and  none  save  Zeus,  the  father  of  gods  and 
men.  Tell  me  now,  Perseus,  which  of  these  two  sorts  of 
men  seem  to  you  more  blest  ? " 

Then  Perseus  answered  boldly :  "  Better  to  die  in  the 
flower  of  youth,  on  the  chance  of  winning  a  noble  name, 
than  to  live  at  ease  like  the  sheep,  and  die  unloved  and 
unrenowned." 

Then  that  strange  lady  laughed,  and  held  up  her  brazen 
.shield,  and  cried,  "  See  here,  Perseus  ;  dare  you  face  such  a 
monster  as  this  and  slay  it,  that  I  may  place  its  head  upon 
this  shield  ?  " 

And  in  the  mirror  of  the  shield  there  appeared  a  face, 
and  as  Perseus  looked  on  it  his  blood  ran  cold.  It  was  the 
face  of  a  beautiful  woman  ;  but  her  cheeks  were  pale  as 
death,  and  her  brows  were  knit  with  everlasting  pain,  and 
her  lips  were  thin  and  bitter  like  a  snake's  ;  and  instead 
of  hair,  vipers  wreathed   about  her   temples  and  shot  out 

1  The  Titans  were  a  race  of  hostile  divinities  who  had  been  vanquished  by 
Zeus,  and  banished  to  the  lower  world.  Several  of  them  seem  to  have  been 
personifications  of  the  forces  of  nature, 


PERSEUS.  9 

their  forked   tongues,  while  round  her  head  were   folded 
wings  like  an  eagle's,  and  upon  her  bosom  claws  of  brass. 
-   And  Perseus  looked  awhile,  and  then  said,  "  If  there  is 
anything  so  fierce  and  foul  on  earth,  it  were  a  noble  deed 
to  kill  it.     Where  can  I  find  the  monster?" 

Then  the  strange  lady  smiled  again,  and  said,  "  Not  yet  ; 
you  are  too  young  and  too  unskilled  ;  for  this  is  Medusa 
the  Gorgon,1  the  mother  of  a  monstrous  brood.  Return  to 
your  home,  and  do  the  work  which  waits  there  for  you. 
You  must  play  the  man  in  that  before  I  can  think  you 
worthy  to  go  in  search  of  the  Gorgon." 

Then  Perseus  would  have  spoken,  but  the  strange  lady 
vanished,  and  he  awoke  ;  and  behold,  it  was  a  dream.  But 
day  and  night  Perseus  saw  before  him  the  face  of  that 
dreadful  woman,  with  the  vipers  writhing  round  her  head. 

So  he  returned  home  ;  and  when  he  came  to  Seriphus, 
the  first  thing' which  he  heard  was  that  his  mother  was  a 
slave  in  the  house  of  Polydectes. 

Grinding  his  teeth  with  rage,  he  went  out,  and  away  to 
the  king's  palace,  and  through  the  men's  rooms  and  the 
women's  rooms,  and  so  through  all  the  house  (for  no  one 
dared  to  stop  him,  so  terrible  and  fair  was  he),  till  he  found 
his  mother  sitting  on  the  floor  turning  the  stone  hand- 
mill,  and  weeping  as  she  turned  it.  And  he  lifted  her  up, 
and  kissed  her,  and  bade  her  follow  him  forth.  But  before 
they  could  pass  out  of  the  room,  Polydectes  came  in  raging. 
And  when  Perseus  saw  him,  he  flew  upon  him  as  the  mas- 
tiff flies  on  the  boar.  "  Villain  and  tyrant  !  "  he  cried  ; 
"  is  this  your  respect  for  the  gods,  and  thy  mercy  to  stran- 
gers and  widows  ?  You  shall  die  !  "  And  because  he  had 
no  sword  he  caught  up  the  stone  hand-mill,  and  he  lifted  it 
to  dash  out  Polydectes's  brains. 

1  A  Greek  word,  meaning  the  Grim  One. 


IO  PERSEUS. 

0 

But  his  mother  clung  to  him,  shrieking,  "  Oh,  my  son, 

we  are  strangers  and  helpless  in  the  land ;  and  if  you  kill 

the  king,  all  the  people  will  fall  on   us,  and  we  shall  both 

die." 

Good  Dictys,  too,  who  had  come  in,  entreated  him. 
"  Remember  that  he  is  my  brother.  Remember  how  I 
have  brought  you  up,  and  trained  you  as  my  own  son,  and 
spare  him  for  my  sake." 

Then  Perseus  lowered  his  hand ;  and  Polydectes,  who 
had  been  trembling  all  this  while  like  a  coward,  because 
he  knew  that  he  was  in  the  wrong,  let  Perseus  and  his 
mother  pass. 

Perseus  took  his  mother  to  the  temple  of  Athene,  and 
there  the  priestess  made  her  one  of  the  temple  sweepers ; 
for  there  they  knew  she  would  be  safe,  and  not  even  Poly- 
dectes would  dare  to  drag  her  away  from  the  altar.  And 
there  Perseus,  and  the  good  Dictys,  and  his  wife,  came  to 
visit  her  every  day  ;  while  Polydectes,  not  being  able  to 
get  what  he  wanted  by  force,  cast  about  in  his  wicked 
heart  how  he  might  get  it  by  cunning. 

Now  he  was  sure  that  he  could  never  get  back  Danae 
as  long  as  Perseus  was  in  the  island ;  so  he  made  a  plot  to 
rid  himself' of  him.  And  first  he  pretended  to  have  for- 
given Perseus  and  to  have  forgotten  Danae,  so  that  for  a 
while  all  went  as  smoothly  as  ever. 

Next  he  proclaimed  a  great  feast,  and  invited  to  it  all 
the  chiefs,  and  land-owners,  and  the  young  men  of  the 
island,  and  among  them  Perseus,  that  they  might  all  do 
him  homage  as  their  king,  and  eat  of  his  banquet  in  his 
hall. 

On  the  appointed  day  they  all  came  ;  and,  as  the  custom 
was  then,  each  guest  brought  his  present  with  him  to  the 
king  ;  one  a  horse,  another  a  shawl,  or  a  ring,  or  a  sword  ; 


PERSEUS.  1 1 

and  those  who  had  nothing  better  brought  a  basket  of 
grapes  or  of  game  ;  but  Perseus  brought  nothing,  for  he 
had  nothing  to  bring,  being  but  a  poor  sailor  lad. 

He  was  ashamed,  however,  to  go  into  the  king's  presence 
without  his  gift,  and  he  was  too  proud  to  ask  Dictys  to 
lend  him  one.  So  he  stood  at  the  door  sorrowfully,  watch- 
ing the  rich  men  go  in  ;  and  his  face  grew  very  red  as  they 
pointed  at  him,  and  smiled,  and  whispered,  "What  has 
that  foundling  to  give  ?" 

Now  this  was  what  Polydectes  wanted ;  and  as  soon  as 
he  heard  that  Perseus  stood  without,  he  bade  them  bring 
him  in,  and  asked  him  scornfully  before  them  all,  "  Am  I 
not  your  king,  Perseus,  and  have  I  not  invited  you  to  my 
feast  ?     Where  is  your  present,  then  ? " 

Perseus  blushed  and  stammered,  while  all  the  proud 
men  round  laughed,  and  some  of  them  began  jeering  him 
openly.  "This  fellow  was  thrown  ashore  here  like  apiece 
of  weed  or  drift  wood,  and  yet  he  is  too  proud  to  bring  a 
gift  to  the  king." 

"  And  though  he  does  not  know  who  his  father  is,  he  is 
vain  enough  to  let  the  old  women  call  him  the  son  of 
Zeus." 

And  so  forth,  till  poor  Perseus  grew  mad  with  shame, 
and  hardly  knowing  what  he  said,  cried  out,  "A  present ! 
who  are  you  who  talk  of  presents  ?  See  if  I  do  not  bring 
a  nobler  one  than  all  of  yours  together  !  " 

So  he  said,  boasting ;  and  yet  he  felt  in  his  heart  that 
he  was  braver  than  all  those  scoffers,  and  more  able  to  do 
some  glorious  deed. 

"Hear  him!  Hear  the  boaster!  What  is  it  to  be?" 
cried  they  all,  laughing  louder  than  ever. 

Then  his  dream  at  Samos  came  into  his  mind,  and  he 
cried  aloud,  "The  head  of  the  Gorgon." 


12  PERSEUS. 

He  was  half  afraid  after  he  had  said  the  words ;  for  all 
laughed  louder  than  ever,  and  Polydectes  loudest  of  all. 

"  You  have  promised  to  bring  me  the  Gorgon's  head  ? 
Then  never  appear  again  in  this  island  without  it.    Go!" 

Perseus  ground  his  teeth  with  rage,  for  he  saw  that  he 
had  fallen  into  a  trap ;  but  his  promise  lay  upon  him,  and 
he  went  out  without  a  word. 

Down  to  the  cliffs  he  went,  and  looked  across  the  broad 
blue  sea ;  and  he  wondered  if  his  dream  were  true,  and 
prayed  in  the  bitterness  of  his  soul. 

"  Pallas  Athene,  was  my  dream  true  ?  and  shall  I  slay 
the  Gorgon  ?  If  thou  didst  really  show  me  her  face,  let 
me  not  come  to  shame  as  a  liar  and  boastful.  Rashly  and 
angrily  I  promised  :  but  cunningly  and  patiently  will  I 
perform." 

But  there  was  no  answer,  nor  sign  ;  neither  thunder  or 
any  appearance  ;  not  even  a  cloud  in  the  sky. 

And  three  times  Perseus  called,  weeping.  "  Rashly  and 
angrily  I  promised  :  but  cunningly  and  patiently  will  I 
perform." 

Then  he  saw  afar  off  above  the  sea  a  small  white  cloud, 
as  bright  as  silver.  And  it  came  on,  nearer  and  nearer, 
till  its  brightness  dazzled  his  eyes. 

Perseus  wondered  at  that  strange  cloud,  for  there  was 
no  other  cloud  all  around  the  sky ;  and  he  trembled  as  it 
touched  the  cliff  below.  And  as  it  touched,  it  broke,  and 
parted,  and  within  it  appeared  Pallas  Athene,  as  he  had 
seen  her  at  Samos  in  his  dream,  and  beside  her  a  young 
man  more  light-limbed  than  the  stag,  whose  eyes  were  like 
sparks  of  fire.  By  his  side  was  a  scimitar  of  diamond,  all 
of  one  clear  precious  stone,  and  on  his  feet  were  golden 
sandals,  from  the  heels  of  which  grew  living  wings. 

They  looked  upon  Perseus  keenly,  and  yet  they  never 


PERSEUS.  1 3 

moved  their  eyes ;  and  they  came  up  the  cliffs  towards 
him  more  swiftly  than  the  sea-gull,  and  yet  they  never 
moved  their  feet,  nor  did  the  breeze  stir  the  robes  about 
their  limbs  ;  only  the  wings  of  the  youth's  sandals  quiv- 
ered, like  a  hawk's  when  he  hangs  above  the  cliff.  And 
Perseus  fell  down  and  worshipped,  for  he  knew  that  they 
were  more  than  man. 

But  Athene  stood  before  him  and  spoke  gently,  and  bid 
him  have  no  fear.     Then,  — 

"  Perseus,"  she  said,  "  he  who  overcomes  in  one  trial 
merits  thereby  a  sharper  trial  still.  You  have  braved 
Polydectes,  and  done  manfully.  Dare  you  brave  Medusa 
the  Gorgon?" 

And  Perseus  said,  "  Try  me ;  for  since  you  spoke  to  me 
in  Samos,  a  new  soul  has  come  into  my  breast,  and  I 
should  be  ashamed  not  to  dare  anything  which  I  can  do. 
Show  me,  then,  how  I  can  do  this." 

"Perseus,"  said  Athene,  "think  well  before  you  attempt ; 
for  this  deed  requires  a  seven  years'  journey,  in  which  you 
cannot  repent  or  turn  back,  nor  escape ;  but  if  your  heart 
fails  you,  you  must  die  in  the  unshapen  land,  where  no 
man  will  ever  find  your  bones." 

"Better  so  than  live  here,  useless  and  despised,"  said 
Perseus.  "  Tell  me,  then,  oh  tell  me,  fair  and  wise 
Goddess,  of  your  great  kindness  and  condescension,  how  I 
can  do  but  this  one  thing,  and  then,  if  need  be,  die  ! " 

Then  Athene  smiled,  and  said,  — 

"  Be  patient,  and  listen  ;  for  if  you  forget  my  words,  you 
will  indeed  die.  You  must  go  northward  to  the  country 
of  the  Hyperboreans,1  who  live  beyond  the  pole,  at  the 
sources  of  the  cold  north  wind  ;   till  you  find  the  three 

1  From  two  Greek  words,  meaning  beyond,  and  the  north  wind,  respect- 
ively. 


%4  PERSEUS. 

Gray  Sisters,  who  have  but  one  eye  and  one  tooth  between 
them.  You  must  ask  them  the  way  to  the  Nymphs,  the 
daughters  of  the  Evening  Star,  who  dance  about  the  golden 
tree,  in  the  Atlantic  island  of  the  west.  They  will  tell 
you  the  way  to  the  Gorgon,  that  you  may  slay  her,  my 
enemy,  the  mother  of  monstrous  beasts.  Once  she  was  a 
maiden  as  beautiful  as  morn,  till  in  her  pride  she  sinned 
a  sin  at  which  the  sun  hid  his  face ;  and  from  that  day  her 
hair  was  turned  to  vipers,  and  her  hands  to  eagle's  claws  ; 
and  her  heart  was  filled  with  shame  and  rage,  and  her  lips 
with  bitter  venom  ;  and  her  eyes  became  so  terrible  that 
whosoever  looks  on  them  is  turned  to  stone ;  and  her 
children  are  the  winged  horse,  and  the  giant  of  the  golden 
sword;  and  her  grandchildren  are  Echidna1  the  witch- 
adder,  and  Geryon  the  three-headed  tyrant,  who  feeds  his 
herds  beside  the  herds  of  hell.  So  she  became  the  sister 
of  the  Gorgons,  Stheno  and  Euryale  the  abhorred,  the 
daughters  of  the  Queen  of  the  Sea.  Touch  them  not,  for 
they  are  immortal :  but  bring  me  only  Medusa's  head." 

"  And  I  will  bring  it !  "  said  Perseus  ;  "  but  how  am  I  to 
escape  her  eyes  ?    Will  she  not  freeze  me  too  into  stone  ? " 

"  You  shall  take  this  polished  shield,"  said  Athene  ; 
"  and  when  you  come  near  her,  look  not  at  her  herself,  but 
at  her  image  in  the  brass  ;  so  you  may  strike  her  safely. 
And  when  you  have  struck  off  her  head,  wrap  it,  with 
your  face  turned  away,  in  the  folds  of  the  goat-skin  on 
which  the  shield  hangs,  the  hide  of  Amalthea,2  the  nurse 
of  the  ^Egis-holder.3  So  you  will  bring  it  safely  back  to 
me,  and  win  to  yourself  renown  and  a  place  among  the 

1  A  monster,  half  maiden  and  half  serpent. 

2  The  sacred  goat  with  whose  milk  Zeus  was  fed  in  infancy  on  the  island 
of  Crete. 

3  The  cegis  was  the  sacred  shield  of  Zeus.  As  the  aegis  was  a  part  of  his 
regular  armor,  Zeus  is  often  called,  as  here,  the  ALgis-holder. 


J'EKSKUS.  1 5 

heroes  who  feast  with  the  Immortals  upon  the  peak  where 
no  winds  blow." 

Then  Perseus  said,  "  I  will  go,  though  1  die  in  going. 
But  how  shall  I  cross  the  seas  without  a  ship  ?  And  who 
will  show  me  my  way  ?  And  when  I  find  her,  how  shall  I 
slay  her,  if  her  scales  be  iron  and  brass  ? " 

Then  the  young  man  spoke  :  "  These  sandals  of  mine 
will  bear  you  across  the  seas,  and  over  hill  and  dale  like  a 
bird,  as  they  bear  me  all  day  long ;  for  I  am  Hermes,1  the 
far-famed  Argus-slayer,2  the  messenger  of  the  Immortals 
who  dwell  on  Olympus."  3 

Then  Perseus  fell  down  and  worshipped,  while  the 
young  man  spoke  again. 

"  The  sandals  themselves  will  guide  you  on  the  road, 
for  they  are  divine  and  cannot  stray  ;  and  this  sword 
itself,  the  Argus-slayer,  will  kill  her,  for  it  is  divine,  and 
needs  no  second  stroke.  Arise,  and  gird  them  on,  and  go 
forth." 

So  Perseus  arose,  and  girded  on  the  sandals  and  the 
sword. 

And  Athene  cried,  "  Now  leap  from  the  cliff,  and  be 
gone." 

But  Perseus  lingered. 

"  May  I  not  bid  farewell  to  my  mother  and  to  Dictys  ? 
And  may  I  not  offer  burnt-offerings  to  you,  and  to  Hermes, 
the  far-famed  Argus-slayer,  and  to  Father  Zeus  above  ? " 

"  You  shall  not  bid  farewell  to  your  mother,  lest  your 
heart   relent    at    her  weeping.      I   will    comfort    her  and 

1  See  the  "  Descriptive  Table  of  Greek  Divinities,"  p.  v. 

2  Argus,  who  had  a  hundred  eyes,  was  employed  fey  Hera  to  watch  Io,  the 
latter  having  aroused  Hera's  jealousy.  But  Hermes,  at  the  instigation  of  Zeus, 
slew  Argus  and  delivered  Io. 

3  The  highest  peak  of  this  mountain  rises  9,754  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea.  Its  cloud-wrapt  summit,  veiled  from  mortal  eyes,  seemed  to  the  imagina- 
tive Greeks  the  natural  dwelling-place  of  their  gods. 


1 6  PERSEUS. 

Dictys  until  you  return  in  peace.  Nor-  shall  you  offer 
burnt-offerings  to  the  Olympians  ;  for  your  offering  shall 
be  Medusa's  head.  Leap,  and  trust  in  the  armor  of  the 
Immortals." 

Then  Perseus  looked  down  the  cliff  and  shuddered ;  but 
he  was  ashamed  to  show  his  dread.  Then  he  thought  of 
Medusa  and  the  renown  before  him,  and  he  leaped  into 
the  empty  air. 

And  behold,  instead  of  falling  he  floated,  and  stood,  and 
ran  along  the  sky.  He  looked  back,  but  Athene  had 
vanished,  and  Hermes  ;  and  the  sandals  led  him  on  north- 
ward ever,  like  a  crane  who  follows  the  spring  toward  the 
Ister1  fens. 

1  The  modern  Danube. 


PERSEUS.  17 


PART   III. 

HOW    PERSEUS    SLEW    THE    GORGON. 

So  Perseus  started  on  his  journey,  going  dry-shod  over 
land  and  sea;  and  his  heart  was  high  and  joyful,  for 
the  winged  sandals  bore  him  each  clay  a  seven  days' 
journey. 

And  he  went  by  Cythnus,  and  by  Ceos,  and  the  pleas- 
ant Cyclades  to  Attica ;  and  past  Athens,  and  Thebes, 
and  the  Copaic  lake,  and  up  the  vale  of  Cephisus,  and  past 
the  peaks  of  QEta  and  Pindus,  and  over  the  rich  Thessa- 
lian  plains,  till  the  sunny  hills  of  Greece  were  behind  him, 
and  before  him  were  the  wilds  of  the  north.  Then  he 
passed  the  Thracian  mountains,  and  many  a  barbarous 
tribe,  Paeons  and  Dardans  and  Triballi,  till  he  came  to  the 
Ister  stream,  and  the  dreary  Scythian  plains.  And  he 
walked  across  the  Ister  dry-shod,  and  away  through  the 
moors  and  fens,  day  and  night,  toward  the  bleak  north- 
west, turning  neither  to  the  right  hand  nor  the  left,  till  he 
came  to  the  Unshapen  Land,  and  the  place  which  has  no 
name. 

And  seven  days  he  walked  through  it,  on  a  path  which 
few  can  tell ;  for  those  who  have  trodden  it  like  least  to 
speak  of  it,  and  those  who  go  there  again  in  dreams  are 
glad  enough  when  they  awake ;  till  he  came  to  the  edge 
of  the  everlasting  night,  where  the  air  was  full  of  feathers, 
and  the  soil  was  hard  with  ice  ;  and  there  he  found  the 
three  Gray  Sisters,  by  the  shore  of  the  freezing  sea,  nod- 
ding  upon   a  white  log  of  drift-wood,  beneath  the   cold, 


1 8  PERSEUS. 

white,  winter  moon ;  and  they  chanted*  a  low  song  to- 
gether,  "  Why  the  old  times  were  better  than  the  new." 

There  was  no  living  thing  around  them  ;  not  a  fly,  not 
a  moss  upon  the  rocks.  Neither  seal  nor  sea-gull  dare 
come  near,  lest  the  ice  should  clutch  them  in  its  claws. 
The  surge  broke  up  in  foam,  but  it  fell  again  in  flakes  of 
snow ;  and  it  frosted  the  hair  of  the  three  Gray  Sisters, 
and  the  bones  in  the  ice-cliff  above  their  heads.  They 
passed  the  eye  from  one  to  the  other,  but  for  all  that  they 
could  not  see ;  and  they  passed  the  tooth  from  one  to  the 
other,  but  for  all  that  they  could  not  eat ;  and  they  sat  in 
the  full  glare  of  the  moon,  but  they  were  none  the  warmer 
for  her  beams.  And  Perseus  pitied  the  three  Gray  Sis- 
ters ;  but  they  did  not  pity  themselves. 

So  he  said,  "  Oh,  venerable  mothers,  wisdom  is  the 
daughter  of  old  age.  You,  therefore,  should  know  many 
things.     Tell  me,  if  you  can,  the  path  to  the  Gorgon." 

Then  one  cried,  "  Who  is  this  who  reproaches  us  with 
old  age  ?"  And  another,  "This  is  the  voice  of  one  of  the 
children  of  men." 

And  he,  "  I  do  not  reproach,  but  honor  your  old  age, 
and  I  am  one  of  the  sons  of  men  and  of  the  heroes.  The 
rulers  of  Olympus  have  sent  me  to  you  to  ask  the  way  to 
the  Gorgon." 

Then  one,  —  "  There  are  new  rulers  in  Olympus,  and  all 
new  things  are  bad."  And  another,  —  "We  hate  your 
rulers,  and  all  the  children  of  men.  We  are  the  kindred 
of  the  Titans,  and  the  Giants,1  and  the  Gorgons,  and  the 
ancient  monsters  of  the  deep."  And  another,  —  "  Who  is 
this  rash  and  insolent  man,  who  pushes  unbidden  into  our 

1  The  Giants  were  monsters,  born  from  drops  of  blood  that  had  fallen  on 
the  earth.  They  fought  with  Zeus  and  the  other  Olympian  gods,  but  were 
defeated  and  slain.     Some  of  them  were  buried  under  volcanic  islands. 


PERSEUS.  19 

world  ?  "  And  the  first,  —  "  There  never  was  such  a  world 
as  ours,  nor  will  be  ;  if  we  let  him  see  it,  he  will  spoil  it 
all." 

Then  one  cried,  "  Give  me  the  eye,  that  I  may  see  him  "  ; 
and  another,  "  Give  me  the  tooth,  that  I  may  bite  him." 
But  Perseus,  when  he  saw  that  they  were  foolish  and 
proud,  and  did  not  love  the  children  of  men,  left  off  pity- 
ing them,  and  said  to  himself,  "  Hungry  men  must  needs 
be  hasty ;  if  I  stay  making  many  words  here,  I  shall  be 
starved."  Then  he  stepped  close  to  them,  and  watched 
till  they  passed  the  eye  from  hand  to  hand.  And  as  they 
groped  about  between  themselves,  he  held  out  his  own 
hand  gently,  till  one  of  them  put  the  eye  into  it,  fancying 
that  it  was  the  hand  of  her  sister.  Then  he  sprang  back, 
and  laughed,  and  cried,  — 

"  Cruel  and  proud  old  women,  I  have  your  eye ;  and  I 
will  throw  it  into  the  sea,  unless  you  tell  me  the  path  to 
the  Gorgon,  and  swear  to  me  that  you  tell  me  right." 

Then  they  wept,  and  chattered,  and  scolded ;  but  in 
vain.  They  were  forced  to  tell  the  truth,  though  when 
they  told  it,  Perseus  could  hardly  make  out  the  road. 

"You  must  go,"  they  said,  " foolish  boy,  to  the  south- 
ward, into  the  ugly  glare  of  the  sun,  till  you  come  to  Atlas 
the  Giant,  who  holds  the  heaven  and  the  earth  apart. 
And  you  must  ask  his  daughters,  the  Hesperides,1  who 
are  young  and  foolish  like  yourself.  And  now  give  us 
back  our  eye ;  for  we  have  forgotten  all  the  rest." 

So  Perseus  gave  them  back  their  eye  ;  but  instead  of 
using  it,  they  nodded,  and  fell  fast  asleep,  and  were  turned 
into  blocks  of  ice,  till  the  tide  came  up  and  washed  them 

1  Nymphs  who  dwelt  in  an  island  in  the  far  west,  where,  assisted  by  the 
dragon  Ladon,  they  guarded  the  golden  apples  that  had  been  given  to  Hera 
at  her  marriage  with  Zeus. 


20  PERSEUS. 

all  away.  And  now  they  float  up  and  down  like  icebergs 
forever,  weeping  whenever  they  meet  the  sunshine,  and 
the  fruitful  summer,  and  the  warm  south  wind,  which  fill 
young  hearts  with  joy. 

But  Perseus  leaped  away  to  the  southward,  leaving  the 
snow  and  ice  behind ;  past  the  isle  1  of  the  Hyperboreans, 
and  the  tin  isles,2  and  the  long  Iberian  3  shore ;  while  the 
sun  rose  higher,  day  by  day,  upon  a  bright  blue  summer 
sea.  And  the  terns  and  the  sea-gulls  swept  laughing 
round  his  head,  and  called  to  him  to  stop  and  play,  and 
the  dolphins  gambolled  up  as  he  passed,  and  offered  to 
carry  him  on  their  backs.  And  all  night  long  the  sea- 
nymphs  sang  sweetly,  and  the  Tritons4  blew  upon  their 
conchs,  as  they  played  round  Galatea  their  queen,  in  her 
car  of  pearled  shells.  Day  by  day  the  sun  rose  higher, 
and  leaped  more  swiftly  into  the  sea  at  night,  and  more 
swiftly  out  of  the  sea  at  dawn  ;  while  Perseus  skimmed 
over  the  billows  like  a  sea-gull,  and  his  feet  were  never 
wetted ;  and  leapt  on  from  wave  to  wave,  and  his  limbs 
were  never  weary,  till  he  saw,  far  away,  a  mighty  moun- 
tain, all  rose-red  in  the  setting  sun.  Its  feet  were  wrapped 
in  forests,  and  its  head  in  wreaths  of  cloud  ;  and  Perseus 
knew  that  it  was  Atlas,  who  holds  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  apart. 

He  came  to  the  mountain,  and  leapt  on  shore,  and  wan- 
dered upward  among  pleasant  valleys,  and  waterfalls,  and 

1  Iceland  (?). 

2  The  Cassiterides  of  the  ancients,  pei-haps  to  be  identified  with  the  Scilly 
Islands,  off  the  coast  of  Cornwall. 

3  Iberia  was  the  Greek  name  of  Spain. 

4  Marine  divinities,  having  in  the  upper  part  of  their  bodies  the  form  of  a 
man,  and  in  the  lower  the  tail  of  a  dolphin.  They  are  represented  with  conchs 
or  trumpet  shells,  by  blowing  which,  at  the  command  of  Poseidon,  they  calm 
the  sea. 


PERSEUS.  21 

tall  trees,  and  strange  ferns  and  flowers  ;  but  there  was  no 
smoke  rising  from  any  glen,  nor  house,  nor  sign  of  man. 

At  last  he  heard  sweet  voices  singing ;  and  he  guessed 
that  he  was  come  to  the  garden  of  the  Nymphs,  the  daugh- 
ters of  the  Evening  Star.1 

They  sang  like  nightingales  among  the  thickets,  and 
Perseus  stopped  to  hear  their  song ;  but  the  words  which 
they  spoke  he  could  not  understand  ;  no,  nor  no  man  after 
him  for  many  a  hundred  years.  So  he  stepped  forward 
and  saw  them  dancing,  hand  in  hand,  around  the  charmed 
tree,  which  bent  under  its  golden  fruit ;  and  round  the 
tree-foot  was  coiled  the  dragon,  old  Ladon  the  sleepless 
snake,  who  lies  there  forever,  listening  to  the  song  of  the 
maidens,  blinking  and  watching  with  dry  bright  eyes. 

Then  Perseus  stopped,  not  because  he  feared  the 
dragon,  but  because  he  was  bashful  before  those  fair 
maids  ;  but  when  they  saw  him,  they  too  stopped,  and 
called  to  him  with  trembling  voices,  — 

"  Who  are  you  ?  Are  you  Heracles  2  the  mighty,  who 
will  come  to  rob  our  garden,  and  carry  off  our  golden 
fruit?"     And  he  answered, — 

"  I  am  not  Heracles  the  mighty,  and  I  want  none  of 
your  golden  fruit.  Tell  me,  fair  nymphs,  the  way  which 
leads  to  the  Gorgon,  that  I  may  go  on  my  way  and  slay 
her." 

"  Not  yet,  not  yet,  fair  boy  ;  come  dance  with  us  around 
the  tree,  in  the  garden  which  knows  no  winter,  the  home 
of  the  south  wind  and  the  sun.     Come   hither   and   play 

1  The  Hesperides  are  sometimes  represented  as  the  daughters,  not  of  Atlas, 
but  of  Hesperus,  the  Evening  star. 

2  The  most  famous  of  the  heroes  of  antiquity.  By  the  Romans  he  was 
called  Hercules.  One  of  the  twelve  labors  imposed  upon  him  was  to  seek  out 
and  bring  away  the  golden  apples  from  the  garden  of  the  Hesperides.  He 
succeeded  in  his  task  through  the  aid  of  Atlas. 


22  PERSEUS. 

with  us  awhile  ;  we  have  danced  alone  here  for  a  thousand 
years,  and  our  hearts  are  weary  with  longing  for  a  play- 
fellow.    So  come,  come,  come  !  " 

"  I  cannot  dance  with  you,  fair  maidens,  for  I  must  do 
the  errand  of  the  Immortals.  So  tell  me  the  way  to  the 
Gorgon,  lest  I  wander  and  perish  in  the  waves." 

Then  they  sighed,  and  wept,  and  answered  :  — 

"The  Gorgon  !  she  will  freeze  you  into  stone." 

"  It  is  better  to  die  like  a  hero  than  to  live  like  an  ox  in 
a  stall.  The  Immortals  have  lent  me  weapons,  and  they 
will  give  me  wit  to  use  them." 

Then  they  sighed  again,  and  answered :  "  Fair  boy,  if 
you  are  bent  on  your  own  ruin,  be  it  so.  We  know  not 
the  way  to  the  Gorgon ;  but  we  will  ask  the  giant  Atlas, 
above  upon  the  mountain  peak,  the  brother  of  our  father, 
the  silver  Evening  Star.  He  sits  aloft,  and  sees  across 
the  ocean,  and  far  away  into  the  Unshapen  Land." 

So  they  went  up  the  mountain  to  Atlas,  their  uncle,  and 
Perseus  went  up'  with  them.  And  they  found  the  giant 
kneeling,  as  he  held  the  heavens  and  the  earth  apart. 

They  asked  him,  and  he  answered  mildly,  pointing  to 
the  sea-board  with  his  mighty  hand  :  "  I  can  see  the  Gor- 
gons  lying  on  an  island  far  away,  but  this  youth  can  never 
come  near  them,  unless  he  has  the  hat  of  darkness,  which 
whosoever  wears  cannot  be  seen." 

Then  cried  Perseus,  "  Where  is  that  hat,  that  I  may 
find  it  ? " 

But  the  giant  smiled.  "  No  living  mortal  can  find  that 
hat,  for  it  lies  in  the  depths  of  Hades,1  in  the  regions  cf 
the  dead.  But  my  nieces  are  immortal,  and  they  shall 
fetch  it  for  you,  if  you  will  promise  me  one  thing  and  keep 
your  faith." 

1  Originally  the  name  of  the  god  of  the  lower  world,  but  later  used,  as  here, 
to  designate  the  lower  world  itself. 


PERSEUS  23 

Then  Perseus  promised ;  and  the  giant  said  :  "  When 
you  come  back  with  the  head  of  Medusa,  you  shall  show 
me  the  beautiful  horror ;  that  I  may  lose  my  feeling  and 
my  breathing,  and  become  a  stone  forever ;  for  it  is  weary 
labor  for  me  to  hold  the  heavens  and  the  earth  apart." 

Then  Perseus  promised  ;  and  the  eldest  of  the  nymphs 
went  down,  and  into  a  dark  cavern  among  the  cliffs,  out 
of  which  came  smoke  and  thunder,  for  it  was  one  of  the 
mouths  of  Hell. 

And  Perseus  and  the  nymphs  sat  down  seven  days,  and 
waited  trembling,  till  the  nymph  came  up  again  ;  and  her 
face  was  pale,  and  her  eyes  dazzled  with  the  light,  for  she 
had  been  long  in  the  dreary  darkness ;  but  in  her  hand 
was  the  magic  hat. 

Then  all  the  nymphs  kissed  Perseus,  and  wept  over  him 
a  long  while ;  but  he  was  only  impatient  to  be  gone. 
And  at  last  they  put  the  hat  upon  his  head,  and  he  van- 
ished out  of  their  sight. 

But  Perseus  went  on  boldly,  past  many  an  ugly  sight, 
far  away  into  the  heart  of  the  Unshapen  Land,  beyond  the 
streams  of  Ocean,  to  the  isles  where  no  ship  cruises,  where 
is  neither  night  nor  day,  where  nothing  is  in  its  right  place, 
and  nothing  has  a  name ;  till  he  heard  the  rustle  of  the 
Gorgons'  wings,  and  saw  the  glitter  of  their  brazen  talons  ; 
and  then  he  knew  that  it  was  time  to  halt,  lest  Medusa 
should  freeze  him  into  stone. 

He  thought  awhile  with  himself,  and  remembered 
Athene's  words.  He  rose  aloft  into  the  air,  and  held  the 
mirror  of  the  shield  above  his  head,  and  looked  up  into 
it  that  he  might  see  all  that  was  below  him. 

And  he  saw  the  three  Gorgons  sleeping,  as  huge  as 
elephants.  He  knew  that  they  could  not  see  him,  because 
the  hat  of  darkness  hid  him  ;  and  yet  he  trembled  as  he 


24  PERSEUS. 

sank  down  near  them,  so  terrible  were  those  brazen 
claws. 

Two  of  the  Gorgons  were  foul  as  swine,  and  lay  sleep- 
ing heavily,  as  swine  sleep,  with  their  mighty  wings  out- 
spread ;  but  Medusa  tossed  to  and  fro  restlessly,  and  as 
she  tossed,  Perseus  pitied  her,  she  looked  so  fair  and  sad. 
Her  plumage  was  like  the  rainbow,  and  her  face  was  like 
the  face  of  a  nymph,  only  her  eyebrows  were  knit,  and 
her  lips  clenched,  with  everlasting  care  and  pain  ;  and  her 
long  neck  gleamed  so  white  in  the  mirror,  that  Perseus 
had  not  the  heart  to  strike,  and  said  :  "  Ah,  that  it  had 
been  either  of  her  sisters  !  " 

But  as  he  looked,  from  among  her  tresses  the  vipers' 
heads  awoke,  and  peeped  up  with  their  bright  dry  eyes,  and 
showed  their  fangs,  and  hissed ;  and  Medusa,  as  she 
tossed,  threw  back  her  wings,  and  showed  her  brazen 
claws  ;  and  Perseus  saw  that,  for  all  her  beauty,  she  was 
as  foul  an4  venomous  as  the  rest. 

Then  he  came  down  and  stept  to  her  boldly,  and 
looked  steadfastly  on  his  mirror,  and  struck  with  Harpe  1 
stoutly  once  ;  and  he  did  not  need  to  strike  again. 

Then  he  wrapped  the  head  in  the  goat-skin,  turning 
away  his  eyes,  and  sprang  into  the  air  aloft,  faster  than  he 
ever  sprang  before. 

For  Medusa's  wings  and  talons  rattled  as  she  sank  dead 
upon  the  rocks  ;  and  her  two  foul  sisters  woke,  and  saw 
her  lying  dead. 

Into  the  air  they  sprang  yelling,  and  looked  for  him 
who  had  done  the  deed.  Thrice  they  swung  round  and 
round,  like  hawks  who  beat  for  a  partridge  ;  and  thrice  they 
snuffed   round  and  round,  like  hounds  who  draw  upon  a 

1  The  Greek  name  of  the  scimitar  which  Perseus  had  received  from  Hermes. 
(See  p.  12.) 


PERSEUS.  25 

deer.  At  last  they  struck  upon  the  scent  of  the  blood, 
and  they  checked  for  a  moment  to  make  sure ;  and  then 
on  they  rushed  with  a  fearful  howl,  while  the  wind  rattled 
hoarse  in  their  wings. 

On  they  rushed,  sweeping  and  flapping,  like  eagles  after 
a  hare  ;  and  Perseus's  blood  ran  cold,  for  all  his  courage, 
as  he  saw  them  come  howling  on  his  track  ;  and  he  cried  : 
"  Bear  me  well,  now,  brave  sandals,  for  the  hounds  of 
Death  are  at  my  heels  !  " 

And  well  the  brave  sandals  bore  him,  aloft  through 
cloud  and  sunshine,  across  the  shoreless  sea ;  and  fast 
followed  the  hounds  of  Death,  as  the  roar  of  their  wings 
came  down  the  wind.  But  the  roar  came  down  fainter 
and  fainter,  and  the  howl  of  their  voices  died  away  ;  for 
the  sandals  were  too  swift,  even  for  Gorgons,  and  by 
nightfall  they  were  far  behind,  two  black  specks  in  the 
southern  sky,  till  the  sun  sank  and  he  saw  them  no  more. 

Then  he  came  again  to  Atlas,  and  the  garden  of  the 
Nymphs ;  and  when  the  giant  heard  him  coming,  he 
groaned,  and  said  :  "  Fulfil  thy  promise  to  me."  Then 
Perseus  held  up  to  him  the  Gorgon's  head,  and  he  had 
rest  from  all  his  toil ;  for  he  became  a  crag  of  stone, 
which  sleeps  forever  far  above  the  clouds. 

Then  he  thanked  the  Nymphs,  and  asked  them  :  "  By 
what  road  shall  I  go  homeward  again,  for  I  wandered  far 
round  in  coming  hither  ?  " 

And  they  wept  and  cried  :  "  Go  home  no  more,  but  stay 
and  play  with  us,  the  lonely  maidens,  who  dwell  forever 
far  away  from  gods  and  men." 

But  he  refused,  and  they  told  him  his  road,  and  said  : 
"  Take  with  you  this  magic  fruit,  which,  if  you  eat  once, 
you  will  not  hunger  for  seven  days.  For  you  must  go 
eastward    and    eastward    ever,    over   the    doleful    Libyan 


26  PERSEUS. 

shore,  which  Poseidon  gave  to  Father  Zeus?  when  he  burst 
open  the  Bosphorus  and  the  Hellespont,  and  drowned  the 
fair  Lectonian  land.  And  Zeus  took  that  land  in  ex- 
change, a  fair  bargain,  much  bad  ground  for  a  little  good, 
and  to  this  day  it  lies  waste  and  desert,  with  shingle,  and 
rock,  and  sand." 

Then  they  kissed  Perseus,  and  wept  over  him,  and  he 
leapt  down  the  mountain,  and  went  on,  lessening  and 
lessening  like  a  sea-gull,  away  and  out  to  sea. 


PERSEUS.  2/ 


PART    IV. 

HOW    PERSEUS    CAME    TO    THE    /ETHIOPS. 

So  Perseus  flitted  onward  to  the  northeast  over  many  a 
league  of  sea,  till  he  came  to  the  rolling  sand-hills,  and 
the  dreary  Libyan  shore. 

And  he  flitted  on  across  the  desert,  over  rock-ledges, 
and  banks  of  shingle,  and  level  wastes  of  sand,  and  shell- 
drifts  bleaching  in  the  sunshine,  and  the  skeletons  of 
great  sea-monsters,  and  the  dead  bones  of  ancient  giants, 
strewn  up  and  down  upon  the  old  sea-floor.  And  as  he 
went,  the  blood-drops  fell  to  the  earth  from  the  Gorgon's 
head,  and  became  poisonous  asps  and  adders,  which  breed 
in  the  desert  to  this  day. 

Over  the  sands  he  went,  he  never  knew  how  far  or  how 
long,  feeding  on  the  fruit  which  the  Nymphs  had  given 
him,  till  he  saw  the  hills  of  the  Psylli,1  and  the  Dwarfs 
who  fought  with  cranes.  Their  spears  were  of  reeds  and 
rushes,  and  their  houses  of  the  egg-shells  of  the  cranes  ; 
and  Perseus  laughed,  and  went  his  way  to  the  northeast, 
hoping  all  day  long  to  see  the  blue  Mediterranean  spark- 
ling, that  he  might  fly  across  it  to  his  home. 

But  now  came  down  a  mighty  wind,  and  swept  him  back 
southward  toward  the  desert.  All  day  long  he  strove 
against  it ;  but  even  the  winged  sandals  could  not  prevail. 
So  he  was  forced  to  float  down  the  wind  all  night ;  and 
when  the  morning  dawned  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen 
save  the  same  old  hateful  waste  of  sand. 

1  Ancient  inhabitants  of  Cyrenaica. 


28  PERSEUS. 

And  out  of  the  north  the  sand-storms  rushed  upon 
him,  blood-red  pillars  and  wreaths,  blotting  out  the  noon- 
day sun  ;  and  Perseus  fled  before  them,  lest  he  should  be 
choked  by  the  burning  dust.  At  last  the  gale  fell  calm, 
and  he  tried  to  go  northward  again  ;  but  again  came  down 
the  sand-storms,  and  swept  him  back  into  the  waste,  and 
then  all  was  calm  and  cloudless  as  before.  Seven  days 
he  strove  against  the  storms,  and  seven  days  he  was  driven 
back,  till  he  was  spent  with  thirst  and  hunger,  and  his 
tongue  clove  to  the  roof  of  his  mouth.  Here  and  there 
he  fancied  that  he  saw  a  fair  lake,  and  the  sunbeams  shin- 
ing on  the  water ;  but  when  he  came  to  it  it  vanished  at 
his  feet,  and  there  was  nought  but  burning  sand.  And  if 
he  had  not  been  of  the  race  of  the  Immortals,  he  would 
have  perished  in  the  waste  ;  but  his  life  was  strong  within 
him,  because  it  was  more  than  man's. 

Then  he  cried  to  Athene,  and  said,  — 

"  Oh,  fair  and  pure,  if  thou  hearest  me,  wilt  thou  leave 
me  here  to  die  of  drought  ?  I  have  brought  thee  the 
Gorgon's  head  at  thy  bidding,  and  hitherto  thou  hast  pros- 
pered my  journey  ;  dost  thou  desert  me  at  the  last  ?  Else 
why  will  not  these  immortal  sandals  prevail,  even  against 
the  desert  storms  ?  Shall  I  never  see  my  mother  more, 
and  the  blue  ripple  round  Seriphus,  and  the  sunny  hills  of 
Hellas  ? " 

So  he  prayed ;  and  after  he  had  prayed  there  was  a 
great  silence. 

The  heaven  was  still  above  his  head  and  the  sand  was 
still  beneath  his  feet  ;  and  Perseus  looked  up,  but  there 
was  nothing  but  the  blinding  sun  in  the  blinding  blue  ; 
and  around  him,  but  there  was  nothing  but  the  blinding 
sand. 

And  Perseus  stood   still  awhile,  and   waited,  and  said, 


PERSEUS.  29 

"  Surely  I  am  not  here  without  the  will  of  the  Immortals, 
for  Athene  will  not  lie.  Were  not  these  sandals  to  lead 
me  in  the  right  road  ?  Then  the  road  in  which  I  have 
tried  to  go  must  be  a  wrong  road." 

Then  suddenly  his  ears  were  opened,  and  he  heard  the 
sound  of  running  water. 

And  at  that  his  heart  was  lifted  up,  though  he  scarcely 
dare  believe  his  ears  ;  and  weary  as  he  was,  he  hurried 
forward,  though  he  could  scarcely  stand  upright ;  and 
within  a  bowshot  of  him  was  a  glen  in  the  sand,  and 
marble  rocks,  and  date  trees,  and  a  lawn  of  gay  green 
grass.  And  through  the  lawn  a  streamlet  sparkled  and 
wandered  out  beyond  the  trees,  and  vanished  in  the  sand. 

The  water  trickled  among  the  rocks,  and  a  pleasant  breeze 
rustled  in  the  dry  date  branches  ;  and  Perseus  laughed  for 
joy,  and  leapt  down  the  cliff,  and  drank  of  the  cool  water, 
and  ate  of  the  dates,  and  slept  upon  the  turf,  and  leapt  up 
and  went  forward  again ;  but  not  toward  the  north  this 
time,  for  he  said,  "  Surely  Athene  has  sent  me  hither, 
and  will  not  have  me  go  homeward  yet.  What  if  there 
be  another  noble  deed  to  be  done,  before  I  see  the  sunny 
hills  of  Hellas?" 

So  he  went  east,  and  east  forever,  by  fresh  oases,  and 
fountains,  date-palms,  and  lawns  of  grass,  till  he  saw 
before  him  a  mighty  mountain-wall,  all  rose-red  in  the 
setting  sun. 

Then  he  towered  in  the  air  like  an  eagle,  for  his  limbs 
were  strong  again  ;  and  he  flew  all  night  across  the  moun- 
tain till  the  day  began  to  dawn,  and  rosy-fingered  Eos 1 
came  blushing  up  the  sky.  And  then,  behold,  beneath 
him  was  the  long  green  garden  of  Egypt,  and  the  shining 
stream  of  Nile. 

1  Goddess  of  the  dawn;   corresponds  to  the  Latin  Aurora. 


30  PERSEUS. 

And  he  saw  cities  walled  up  to  heaven,  and  temples, 
and  obelisks,  and  pyramids,  and  giant  gods  of  stone. 
And  he  came  down  amid  fields  of  barley,  and  flax,  and 
millet,  and  clambering  gourds  ;  and  saw  the  people  coming 
out  of  the  gates  of  a  great  city,  and  setting  to  work,  each 
in  his  place,  among  the  watercourses,  parting  the  streams 
among  the  plants  cunningly  with  their  feet,  according  to 
the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians.  But  when  they  saw  him 
they  all  stopped  their  work,  and  gathered  round  him,  and 
cried,  — 

"Who  art  thou,  fair  youth,  and  what  bearest  thou 
beneath  thy  goat-skin  there  ?  Surely  thou  art  one  of 
the  Immortals  ;  for  thy  skin  is  white  like  ivory,  and  ours 
is  red  like  clay.  Thy  hair  is  like  threads  of  gold,  and 
ours  is  black  and  curled.  Surely  thou  art  one  of  the 
Immortals  ;  "  —  and  they  would  have  worshipped  him  then 
and  there,  but  Perseus  said,  — 

"  I  am  not  one  of  the  Immortals,  but  I  am  a  hero  of 
the  Hellens.  And  I  have  slain  the  Gorgon  in  the  wil- 
derness, and  bear  her  head  with  me.  Give  me  food, 
therefore,  that  I  may  go  forward  and  finish  my  work." 

Then  they  gave  him  food,  and  fruit,  and  wine,  but  they 
would  not  let  him  go.  And  when  the  news  came  into^ 
the  city  that  the  Gorgon  was  slain,  the  priests  came  out 
to  meet  him,  and  the  maidens,  with  songs  and  dances,  and 
timbrels  and  harps  ;  and  they  would  have  brought  him 
to  their  temple  and  to  their  king ;  but  Perseus  put  on  the 
hat  of  darkness,  and  vanished  away  out  of  their  sight. 

Therefore  the  Egyptians  looked  long  for  his  return,  but 
in  vain,  and  worshipped  him  as  a  hero,  and  made  a  statue 
of  him  in  Chemmis,  which  stood  for  many  a  hundred 
years ;  and  they  said  that  he  appeared  to  them  at  times 
with  sandals  a  cubit  long  ;  and  that  whenever  he  appeared, 


Greek  Heroes.  —  Page  31. 


PERSEUS.  3 1 

the  season  was  fruitful,  and  the  Nile  rose  high  that 
year. 

Then  Perseus  went  to  the  eastward,  along  the  Red  Sea 
shore ;  and  then,  because  he  was  afraid  to  go  into  the 
Arabian  deserts,  he  turned  northward  once  more,  and 
this  time  no  storm  hindered  him. 

He  went  past  the  Isthmus,1  and  Mount  Casius,  and  the 
vast  Serbonian  bog,  and  up  the  shore  of  Palestine,  where 
the  dark-faced  ^Ethiops  dwelt. 

He  flew  on  past  pleasant  hills  and  valleys,  like  Argos 
itself,  or  Lacedaemon,  or  the  fair  Vale  of  Tempe.  But  the 
lowlands  were  all  drowned  by  floods,  and  the  highlands 
blasted  by  fire,  and  the  hills  heaved  like  a  bubbling 
cauldron  before  the  wrath  of  King  Poseidon,  the  shaker 
of  the  earth. 

And  Perseus  feared  to  go  inland,  but  flew  along  the 
shore  above  the  sea ;  and  he  went  on  all  the  day,  and 
the  sky  was  black  with  smoke  :  and  he  went  on  all  the 
night,  and  the  sky  was  red  with  flame. 

And  at  the  dawn  of  day  he  looked  toward  the  cliffs ; 
and  at  the  water's  edge,  under  a  black  rock,  he  saw  a 
white  image  stand. 

"This/*  thought  he,  "must  surely  be  the  statue  of 
some  sea-god  ;  I  will  go  near  and  see  what  kinds  of  gods 
these  barbarians  worship." 

So  he  came  near ;  but  when  he  came,  it  was  no  statue, 
but  a  maiden  of  flesh  and  blood ;  for  he  could  see  her 
tresses  streaming  in  the  breeze,  and  as  he  came  closer 
still,  he  could  see  how  she  shrank  and  shivered  when  the 
waves  sprinkled  her  with  cold  salt  spray.  Her  arms  were 
spread  above  her  head,  and  fastened  to  the  rock  with 
chains  of  brass  ;    and   her  head   drooped    on  her  bosom, 

1  Isthmus  of  Suez. 


32  PERSEUS. 

either  with  sleep,  or  weariness,  or  grief.  But  now  and 
then  she  looked  up  and  wailed,  and  called  her  mother ;  yet 
she  did  not  see  Perseus,  for  the  cap  of  darkness  was 
on  his  head. 

Full  of  pity  and  indignation,  Perseus  drew  near  and 
looked  upon  the  maid.  Her  cheeks  were  darker  than  his 
were,  and  her  hair  was  blue-black  like  a  hyacinth  ;  but 
Perseus  thought,  "  I  have  never  seen  so  beautiful  a 
maiden  ;  no,  not  in  all  our  Isles.  Surely  she  is  a  king's 
daughter.  Do  barbarians  treat  their  kings'  daughters 
thus  ?  She  is  too  fair,  at  least,  to  have  done  any  wrong. 
I  will  speak  to  her." 

And  lifting  the  hat  from  his  head,  he  flashed  into  her 
sight.  She  shrieked  with  terror,  and  tried  to  hide  her 
face  with  her  hair,  for  she  could  not  with  her  hands  ;  but 
Perseus  cried,  — 

"  Do  not  fear  me,  fair  one ;  I  am  a  Hellen,  and  no 
barbarian.  What  cruel  men  have  bound  you  ?  But  first 
I  will  set  you  free." 

And  he  tore  at  the  fetters ;  but  they  were  too  strong 
for  him,  while  the  maiden  cried,  — 

"  Touch  me  not ;  I  am  accursed,  devoted  as  a  victim 
to  the  sea-gods.  They  will  slay  you  if  you  dare  to  set 
me  free." 

"  Let  them  try,"  said  Perseus ;  and  drawing  Harpe 
from  his  thigh,  he  cut  through  the  brass  as  if  it  had 
been  flax. 

"Now,"  he  said,  "you  belong  to  me,  and  not  to  these 
sea-gods,  whosoever  they  may  be  !  "  But  she  only  called 
the  more  on  her  mother. 

"  Why  call  on  your  mother  ?  She  can  be  no  mother 
to  have  left  you  here.  If  a  bird  is  dropped  out  of  the 
nest,  it  belongs  to  the  man  who  picks  it  up.     If  a  jewel 


PERSEC/S.  33 

is  cast  by  the  wayside,  it  is  his  who  dare  win  it  and  wear 
it,  as  I  will  win  you  and  will  wear  you.  I  know  now  why 
Pallas  Athene  sent  me  hither.  She  sent  me  to  gain  a 
prize  worth  all  my  toil,  and  more." 

And  he  clasped  her  in  his  arms,  and  cried  —  "  Where 
are  these  sea-gods,  cruel  and  unjust,  who  doom  fair  maids 
to  death  ?  I  carry  the  weapons  of  Immortals.  Let  them 
measure  their  strength  against  mine !  But  tell  me,  maiden, 
who  you  are,  and  what  dark  fate  brought  you  here." 

And  she  answered,  weeping,  — 

"  I  am  the  daughter  of  Cepheus,  King  of  lope,1  and 
my  mother  is  Cassiopea  of  the  beautiful  tresses,  and  they 
called  me  Andromeda  as  long  as  life  was  mine.  And  I  stand 
bound  here,  hapless  that  I  am,  for  the  sea-monster's  food, 
to  atone  for  my  mother's  sin.  For  she  boasted  of  me  once 
that  I  was  fairer  than  Atargatis,2  Queen  of  the  Fishes  ;  so 
she  in  her  wrath  sent  the  sea-floods,  and  her  brother  the 
Fire  King  sent  the  earthquakes,  and  wasted  all  the  land  ; 
and  after  the  floods  a  monster  bred  of  the  slime,  who 
devours  all  living  things.  And  now  he  must  devour  me, 
guiltless  though  I  am  —  me  who  never  harmed  a  living 
thing,  nor  saw  a  fish  upon  the  shore  but  I  gave  it  life,  and 
threw  it  back  into  the  sea ;  for  in  our  land  we  eat  no  fish, 
for  fear  of  Atargatis  their  Queen.  Yet  the  priests  say 
that  nothing  but  my  blood  can  atone  for  a  sin  which  I 
never  committed." 

But  Perseus  laughed,  and  said,  —  "A  sea-monster?  I 
have  fought  with  worse  than  him  ;  I  would  have  faced 
Immortals  for  your  sake ;  how  much  more  a  beast  of  the 
sea  ? '' 

1  lope,  the  Greek  form  of  Joppa,  the  modern  Jaffa. 

2  A  Syrian  goddess,  represented  with  the  body  of  a  woman  and  the  tail  of 
a  Hsh.     She  was  sometimes  identified  among  the  ancients  with  Aphrodite. 


34  PERSEUS. 

Then  Andromeda  looked  up  at  him,  and  new  hope  was 
kindled  in  her  breast,  so  proud  and  fair  did  he  stand,  with 
one  hand  round  her,  and  in  the  other  the  glittering  sword. 
But*  she  only  sighed,  and  wept  the  more,  and  cried, — 

"  Why  will  you  die,  young  as  you  are  ?  Is  there  not 
death  and  sorrow  enough  in  the  world  already?  It  is 
noble  for  me  to  die,  that  I  may  save  the  lives  of  a  whole 
people  ;  but  you,  better  than  them  all,  why  should  I  slay 
you  too  ?     Go  you  your  way  ;  I  must  go  mine." 

But  Perseus  cried,  —  "  Not  so  ;  for  the  Lords  of  Olym* 
pus,  whom  I  serve,  are  the  friends  of  the  heroes,  and  help 
them  on  to  noble  deeds.  Led  by  them,  I  slew  the  Gor- 
gon, the  beautiful  horror  ;  and  not  without  them  do  I 
come  hither,  to  slay  this  monster  with  that  same  Gorgon's 
head.  Yet  hide  your  eyes  when  I  leave  you,  lest  the 
sight  of  it  freeze  you  too  to  stone." 

But  the  maiden  answered  nothing,  for  she  could  not 
believe  his  words.  And  then,  suddenly  looking  up,  she 
pointed  to  the  sea,  and  shrieked,  — 

"  There  he  comes,  with  the  sunrise,  as  they  promised. 
I  must  die  now.  How  shall  I  endure  it  ?  Oh,  go  !  Is  it 
not  dreadful  enough  to  be  torn  piecemeal  without  having 
you  to  look  on  ? "     And  she  tried  to  thrust  him  away. 

But  he  said,  —  "  I  go ;  yet  promise  me  one  thing  ere  I 
go;  that  if  I  slay  this  beast,  you  will  be  my  wife,  and 
come  back  with  me  to  my  kingdom  in  fruitful  Argos,  for  I 
am  a  king's  heir.     Promise  me,  and  seal  it  with  a  kiss." 

Then  she  lifted  up  her  face,  and  kissed  him  ;  and  Per- 
seus laughed  for  joy,  and  flew  upward,  while  Andromeda 
crouched  trembling  on  the  rock,  waiting  for  what  might 
befall. 

On  came  the  great  sea-monster,  coasting  along  like  a 
huge  black  galley,  lazily  breasting  the  ripple,  and  stopping 


PERSEUS.  35 

at  times  by  creek  or  headland,  to  watch  for  the  laughter 
of  girls  at  their  bleaching,  or  cattle  pawing  on  the  sand- 
hills, or  boys  bathing  on  the  beach.  His  great  sides  were 
fringed  with  clustering  shells  and  sea-weeds,  and  the 
water  gurgled  in  and  out  of  his  wide  jaws,  as  he  rolled 
along,  dripping  and  glistening  in  the  beams  of  the  morn- 
ing sun. 

At  last  he  saw  Andromeda,  and  shot  forward  to  take  his 
prey,  while  the  waves  foamed  white  behind  him,  and  be- 
fore him  fish  fled  leaping. 

Then  down  from  the  height  of  the  air  fell  Perseus,  like 
a  shooting  star ;  down  to  the  crest  of  the  waves,  while 
Andromeda  hid  her  face  as  he  shouted ;  and  then  there 
was  silence  for  a  while. 

At  last  she  looked  up  trembling,  and  saw  Perseus  spring- 
ing toward  her ;  and  instead  of  the  monster  a  long  black 
rock,  with  the  sea  rippling  quietly  round  it. 

Who  then  so  proud  as  Perseus,  as  he  leapt  back  to  the 
rock,  and  lifted  his  fair  Andromeda  in  his  arms,  and  flew 
with  her  to  the  cliff -top,  as  a  falcon  carries  a  dove  ? 

Who  so  proud  as  Perseus,  and  who  so  joyful  as  all  the 
^Ethiop  people  ?  For  they  had  stood  watching  the  mon- 
ster from  the  cliffs,  wailing  for  the  maiden's  fate.  And 
already  a  messenger  had  gone  to  Cepheus  and  Cassiopea, 
where  they  sat  in  sackcloth  and  ashes  on  the  ground,  in 
the  innermost  palace  chambers,  awaiting  their  daughter's 
end.  And  they  came,  and  all  the  city  with  them,  to  see 
the  wonder,  with  songs  and  with  dances,  with  cymbals 
and  harps,  and  received  their  daughter  back  again,  as 
one  alive  from  the  dead. 

Then  Cepheus  said,  —  "  Hero  of  the  Hellens,  stay  here 
with  me  and  be  my  son-in-law,  and  I  will  give  you  the  half 
of  my  kingdom." 


36  PERSEUS. 

" 1  will  be  your  son-in-law,"  said  Perseus,  "  but  of  your 
kingdom  I  will  have  none ;  for  I  long  after  the  pleasant 
land  of  Greece,  and  my  mother  who  waits  for  me  at 
home." 

Then  Cepheus  said,  —  "  You  must  not  take  my  daughter 
away  at  once,  for  she  is  to  us  like  one  alive  from  the  dead. 
Stay  with  us  here  a  year,  and  after  that  you  shall  return 
with  honor."  •  And  Perseus  consented  ;  but  before  he 
went  to  the  palace,  he  bade  the  people  bring  stones  and 
wood,  and  built  three  altars,  one  to  Athene,  and  one  to 
Hermes,  and  one  to  Father  Zeus,  and  offered  bullocks 
and  rams. 

And  some  said,  —  "This  is  a  pious  man  ;  "  yet  the  priest 
said,  —  "  The  Sea  Queen  will  be  yet  more  fierce  against 
us,  because  her  monster  is  slain."  But  they  were  afraid 
to  speak  aloud,  for  they  feared  the  Gorgon's  head.  So  they 
went  up  to  the  palace  :  and  when  they  came  in,  there 
stood  in  the  hall  Phineus,  the  brother  of  Cepheus,  chafing 
like  a  bear  robbed  of  her  whelps,  and  with  him  his  sons, 
and  his  servants,  and  many  an  armed  man  ;  and  he  cried 
to  Cepheus, — 

"  You  shall  not  marry  your  daughter  to  this  stranger,  of 
whom  no  one  knows  even  the  name.  Was  not  Androm- 
eda betrothed  to  my  son  ?  And  now  she  is  safe  again, 
has  he  not  a  right  to  claim  her  ? " 

But  Perseus  laughed,  and  answered,  —  "  If  your  son  is  in 
want  of  a  bride,  let  him  save  a  maiden  for  himself.  As 
yet  he  seems  but  a  helpless  bridegroom.  He  left  this  one 
to  die,  and  dead  she  is  to  him.  I  saved  her  alive,  and 
alive  she  is  to  me,  but  to  no  one  else.  Ungrateful  man ! 
have  I  not  saved  your  land,  and  the  lives  of  your  sons  and 
daughters,  and  will  you  requite  me  thus  ?  Go,  or  it  will 
be  worse  for  you."  But  all  the  men-at-arms  drew  their 
swords,  and  rushed  on  him  like  wild  beasts. 


PERSEUS.  37 

Then  he  unveiled  the  Gorgon's  head,  and  said,  — "This 
has  delivered  my  bride  from  one  wild  beast  ;  it  shall 
deliver  her  from  many."  And  as  he  spoke,  Phineus  and 
all  his  men-at-arms  stopped  short,  and  stiffened  each  man 
as  he  stood ;  and  before  Perseus  had  drawn  the  goat-skin 
over  the  face  again,  they  were  all  turned  into  stone. 

Then  Perseus  bade  the  people  bring  levers  and  roll 
them  out  ;  and  what  was  done  with  them  after  that,  I  can- 
not tell. 

So  they  made  a  great  wedding-feast,  which  lasted  seven 
whole  days,  and  who  so  happy  as  Perseus  and  Andromeda? 

But  on  the  eighth  night,  Perseus  dreamed  a  dream ;  and 
he  saw  standing  beside  him  Pallas  Athene,  as  he  had 
seen  her  in  Seriphus,  seven  long  years  before ;  and  she 
stood  and  called  him  by  name,  and  said, — 

"  Perseus,  you  have  played  the  man,  and  see,  you  have 
your  reward.  Know  now  that  the  gods  are  just,  and  help 
him  who  helps  himself.  Now  give  me  here  Harpe  the 
sword,  and  the  sandals,  and  the  hat  of  darkness,  that  I 
may  give  them  back  to  their  owners  ;  but  the  Gorgon's 
head  you  shall  keep  awhile,  for  you  will  need  it  in  your 
land  of  Greece.  Then  you  shall  lay  it  up  in  my  temple  at 
Seriphus,  that  I  may  wear  it  on  my  shield  forever,  a  terror 
to  the  Titans  and  the  monsters,  and  the  foes  of  gods  and 
men.  And  as  for  this  land,  I  have  appeased  the  sea  and 
the  fire,  and  there  shall  be  no  more  floods  nor  earth- 
quakes. But  let  the  people  build  altars  to  Father  Zeus 
and  to  me,  and  worship  the  Immortals,  the  Lords  of 
heaven  and  earth." 

And  Perseus  rose  to  give  her  the  sword,  and  the  cap, 
and  the  sandals  :  but  he  woke,  and  his  dream  vanished 
away.  And  yet  it  was  not  altogether  a  dream ;  for  the 
goat-skin  with  the  head  was  in  its  place  :  but  the  sword, 


38  PERSEUS. 

and  the  cap,  and  the   sandals  were    gone,  and   Perseus 
never  saw  them  more. 

Then  a  great  awe  fell  on  Perseus;  and  he  went  out  in 
the  morning  to  the  people,  and  told  his  dream,  and  bade 
them  build  altars  to  Zeus  the  Father  of  gods  and  men, 
and  to  Athene  who  gives  wisdom  to  heroes ;  and  fear  no 
more  the  earthquakes  and  the  floods,  but  sow  and  build  in 
peace.  And  they  did  so  for  a  while,  and  prospered :  but 
after  Perseus  was  gone,  they  forgot  Zeus  and  Athene,  and 
worshipped  again  Atargatis  the  queen,  and  the  undying 
fish  of  the  sacred  lake,  where  Deucalion's1  deluge  was 
swallowed  up,  and  they  burnt  their  children  before  the 
Fire  King,  till  Zeus  was  angry  with  that  foolish  people, 
and  brought  a  strange  nation  against  them  out  of  Egypt, 
who  fought  against  them  and  wasted  them  utterly,  and 
dwelt  in  their  cities  for  many  a  hundred  years. 

1  When  Zeus  destroyed  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  by  a  deluge  on  account 
of  their  wickedness,  only  Deucalion  and  his  wife  were  preserved.  When  the 
waters  had  subsided,  the  two  survivors  besought  Zeus  to  repeople  the  earth. 
They  were  directed,  in  answer,  to  throw  behind  them  the  bones  of  their 
mother.  Conjecturing  that  by  the  "bones  of  their  mother"  the  stones  of 
mother  earth  might  be  meant,  they  threw  stones  behind  them.  Those  thrown 
by  Deucalion  became  men,  and  those  thrown  by  his  wife  became  women. 


PERSEUS.  39 


PART   V. 

HOW    PERSEUS    CAME    HOME    AGAIN. 

And  when  a  year  was  ended,  Perseus  hired  Phoenicians 
from  Tyre,  and  cut  down  cedars,  and  built  himself  a  noble 
galley  ;  and  painted  its  cheeks  with  vermilion,  and  pitched 
its  sides  with  pitch ;  and  in  it  he  put  Andromeda,  and  all 
her  dowry  of  jewels,  and  rich  shawls,  and  spices  from  the 
East ;  and  great  was  the  weeping  when  they  rowed  away. 
But  the  remembrance  of  his  brave  deed  was  left  behind ; 
and  Andromeda's  rock  was  shown  at  lope,  in  Palestine, 
till  more  than  a  thousand  years  were  past. 

So  Perseus  and  the  Phoenicians  rowed  to  the  westward, 
across  the  sea  of  Crete,  till  they  came  to  the  blue  yEgean 
and  the  pleasant  Isles  of  Hellas,  and  Seriphus,  his  ancient 
home. 

Then  he  left  his  galley  on  the  beach,  and  went  up  as  of 
old  ;  aud  he  embraced  his  mother,  and  Dictys  his  good 
foster-father,  and  they  wept  over  each  other  a  long  while, 
for  it  was  seven  years  and  more  since  they  had  met. 

Then  Perseus  went  out,  and  up  to  the  hall  of  Polydec- 
tes  ;  and  underneath  the  goat-skin  he  bore  the  Gorgon's 
head. 

And  when  he  came  into  the  hall,  Polydectes  sat  at  the 
table-head,  and  all  his  nobles  and  land-owners  on  either 
side,  each  according  to  his  rank,  feasting  on  the  fish  and 
the  goat's-flesh,  and  drinking  the  blood-red  wine.  The 
harpers  harped,  and  the  revellers  shouted,  and  the  wine- 


40  PERSEUS. 

cups  rang  merrily  as  they  passed  from  hand  to  hand,  and 
great  was  the  noise  in  the  hall  of  Polydectes. 

Then  Perseus  stood  upon  the  threshold,  and  called  to 
the  king  by  name.  But  none  of  the  guests  knew  Perseus, 
for  he  was  changed  by  his  long  journey.  He  had  gone 
out  a  boy,  and  he  was  come  home  a  hero  ;  his  eye  shone 
like  an  eagle's,  and  his  beard  was  like  a  lion's  beard,  and 
he  stood  up  like  a  wild  bull  in  his  pride. 

But  Polydectes  the  wicked  knew  him,  and  hardened  his 
heart  still  more  ;  and  scornfully  he  called,  — 

"  Ah,  foundling  !  Have  you  found  it  more  easy  to 
promise  than  to  fulfil  ?  " 

"Those  whom  the  gods  help  fulfil  their  promises ;  and 
those  who  despise  them,  reap  as  they  have  sown.  Behold 
the  Gorgon's  head  !  " 

Then  Perseus  drew  back  the  goat-skin,  and  held  aloft 
the  Gorgon's  head. 

Pale  grew  Polydectes  and  his  guests,  as  they  looked 
upon  that  dreadful  face.  They  tried  to  rise  up  from  their 
seats :  but  from  their  seats  they  never  rose,  but  stiffened, 
each  man  where  he  sat,  into  a  ring  of  cold  gray  stones. 

Then  Perseus  turned  and  left  them,  and  went  down  to 
his  galley  in  the  bay ;  and  he  gave  the  kingdom  to  good 
Dictys,  and  sailed  away  with  his  mother  and,  his  bride. 

And  Polydectes  and  his  guests  sat  still,  with  the  wine- 
cups  before  them  on  the  board ;  till  the  rafters  crumbled 
down  above  their  heads,  and  the  walls  behind  their  backs, 
and  the  table  crumbled  down  between  them,  and  the 
grass  sprung  up  about  their  feet :  but  Polydectes  and  his 
guests  sit  on  the  hill-side,  a  ring  of  gray  stones,  until  this 
day. 

But  Perseus  rowed  westward  toward  Argos,  and  landed, 
and  went  up  to  the  town.     And  when  he  came,  he  found 


PERSEUS.  41 

that  Acrisius  his  grandfather  had  fled.  For  Proetus  his 
wicked  brother  had  made  war  against  him  afresh  ;  and 
had  come  across  the  river  from  Tiryns,  and  conquered 
Argos,  and  Acrisius  had  fled  to  Larissa,  in  the  country  of 
the  wild  Pelasgi. 

Then  Perseus  called  the  Argives  together,  and  told 
them  who  he  was,  and  all  the  noble  deeds  which  he  had 
done.  And  all  the  nobles  and  the  yeomen  made  him 
king,  for  they  saw  that  he  had  a  royal  heart ;  and  they 
fought  with  him  against  Argos,  and  took  it,  and  killed 
Proetus,  and  made  the  Cyclopes  serve  them,  and  build 
them  walls  round  Argos,  like  the  walls  which  they  had 
built  at  Tiryns  :  and  there  were  great  rejoicings  in  the 
vale  of  Argos,  because  they  had  got  a  king  from  Father 
Zeus. 

But  Perseus's  heart  yearned  after  his  grandfather,  and 
he  said,  "  Surely  he  is  my  flesh  and  blood  ;  and  he  will 
love  me  now  that  I  am  come  home  with  honor :  I  will  go 
and  find  him,  and  bring  him  home,  and  we  will  reign 
together  in  peace." 

So  Perseus  sailed  away  with  his  Phoenicians,  round 
Hydrea  and  Sunium,  past  Marathon  and  the  Attic  shore, 
and  through  Euripus,  and  up  the  long  Euboean  Sea,  till 
he  came  to  the  town  of  Larissa,  where  the  wild  Pelasgi 
dwelt. 

And  when  he  came  there,  all  the  people  were  in  the 
fields,  and  there  was  feasting,  and  all  kinds  of  games  ;  for 
Teutamias  their  king  wished  to  honor  Acrisius,  because 
he  was  the  king  of  a  mighty  land. 

So  Perseus  did  not  tell  his  name,  but  went  up  to  the 
games  unknown  ;  for  he  said,  "  If  I  carry  away  the  prize 
in  the  games,  my  grandfather's  heart  will  be  softened 
toward  me." 


42  PERSEUS. 

So  he  threw  off  his  helmet,  and  his  .cuirass,  and  all  his 
clothes,  and  stood  among  the  youths  of  Larissa,  while  all 
wondered  at  him,  and  said,  "Who  is  this  young  stranger, 
who  stands  like  a  wild  bull  in  his  pride  ?  Surely  he  is  one 
of  the  heroes,  the  sons  of  the  Immortals,  from  Olympus." 

And  when  the  games  began,  they  wondered  yet  more ; 
for  Perseus  was  the  best  man  of  all,  at  running,  and 
leaping,  and  wrestling,  and  throwing  the  javelin ;  and  he 
won  four  crowns,  and  took  them,  and  then  he  said  to 
himself,  "  There  is  a  fifth  crown  yet  to  be  won  ;  I  will 
win  that,  and  lay  them  all  upon  the  knees  of  my  grand- 
father." 

And  as  he  spoke,  he  saw  where  Acrisius  sat,  by  the 
side  of  Teutamias  the  king,  with  his  white  beard  flowing- 
down  upon  his  knees,  and  his  royal  staff  in  his  hand ;  and 
Perseus  wept  when  he  looked  at  him,  for  his  heart  yearned 
after  his  kin  ;  and  he  said,  "  Surely  he  is  a  kingly  old  man, 
yet  he  need  not  be  ashamed  of  his  grandson." 

Then  he  took  the  quoits,  and  hurled  them,  five  fathoms 
beyond  all  the  rest  ;  and  the  people  shouted,  "  Further 
yet,  brave  stranger  !  There  has  never  been  such  a  hurler 
in  this  land." 

Then  Perseus  put  out  all  his  strength,  and  hurled.  But 
a  gust  of  wind  came  from  the  sea,  and  carried  the  quoit 
aside,  and  far  beyond  all  the  rest  ;  and  it  fell  on  the  foot 
of  Acrisius,  and  he  swooned  away  with  the  pain. 

Perseus  shrieked,  and  ran  up  to  him  ;  but  when  they 
lifted  the  old  man  up,  he  was  dead  ;  for  his  life  was  slow 
and  feeble. 

Then  Perseus  rent  his  clothes,  and  cast  dust  upon  his 
head,  and  wept  a  long  while  for  his  grandfather.  At  last 
he  rose,  and  called  to  all  the  people  aloud,  and  said,  — 

"  The  gods  are  true,  and  what  they  have  ordained  must 


PKRSFMS.  43 

be.  I  am  Perseus,  the  grandson  of  this  dead  man,  the 
far-famed  slayer  of  the  Gorgon." 

Then  he  told  them  how  the  prophecy  had  declared  that 
he  should  kill  his  grandfather,  and  all  the  story  of  his 
life. 

So  they  made  a  great  mourning  for  Acrisius,  and  burnt 
him  on  a  right  rich  pile  ;  and  Perseus  went  to  the  temple, 
and  was  purified  from  the  guilt  of  the  death,  because  he 
had  done  it  unknowingly. 

Then  he  went  home  to  Argos,  and  reigned  there  well 
with  fair  Andromeda ;  and  they  had  four  sons  and  three 
daughters,  and  died  in  a  good  old  age. 

And  when  they  died,  the  ancients  say,  Athene  took 
them  up  into  the  sky,  with  Cepheus  and  Cassiopea.  And 
there  on  starlight  nights  you  may  see  them  shining  still ; 
•Cepheus  with  his  kingly  crown,  and  Cassiopea  in  her 
ivory  chair,  plaiting  her  star-spangled  tresses,  and  Perseus 
with  the  Gorgon's  head,  and  fair  Andromeda  beside  him, 
spreading  her  long  white  arms  across  the  heaven,  as  she 
stood  when  chained  to  the  stone  for  the  monster.  All 
night  long  they  shine,  for  a  beacon  to  wandering  sailors  : 
but  all  day  they  feast  with  the  gods,  on  the  still  blue 
peaks  of  Olympus. 


STORY  II. -THE  ARGONAUTS. 


STORY  II.  —  THE  ARGONAUTS. 
PART  I. 

HOW  THE  CENTAUR  TRAINED  THE  HEROES  OF  PELION. 

I  HAVE  told  you  of  a  hero  who  fought avith  wild  beasts 
and  with  wild  men  ;  but  now  I  have  a  tale  of  heroes 
who  sailed  away  into  a  distant  land  to  win  themselves 
renown  forever,  in  the  adventure  of  the  Golden  Fleece. 

Whither  they  sailed,  my  children,  I  cannot  clearly  tell. 
It  all  happened  long  ago  ;  so  long  that  it  has  all  grown 
dim,  like  a  dream  which  you  dreamt  last  year.  And  why 
they  went,  I  cannot  tell  ;  some  say  that  it  was  to  win 
gold.  It  may  be  so  ;  but  the  noblest  deeds  which  have 
been  done  on  earth,  have  not  been  done  for  gold.  It  was 
not  for  the  sake  of  gold  that  the  Lord  came  down  and 
died,  and  the  Apostles  went  out  to  preach  the  good  news 
in  all  lands.  The  Spartans  looked  for  no  reward  in 
money  when  they  fought  and  died  at  Thermopylae  1 ;  and 
Socrates2  the  wise  asked  no  pay  from  his  countrymen, 
but  lived  poor  and  barefoot  all  his  days,  only  caring  to 
make  men  good.  And  there  are  heroes  in  our  days  also, 
who  do   noble   deeds,  but  not  for  gold.     Our  discoverers 

1  The  reference  is  to  the  heroic  stand  made  by  Leonidas  and  his  three 
hundred  Spartans  against  the  Persian  host  during  the  invasion  of  Greece  by 
Xerxes,  480  B.C. 

2  An  Athenian,  the  most  celebrated  philosopher  of  antiquity.  At  the  close 
of  a  long  life,  mainly  spent  in  the  service  of  the  state  and  in  the  moral  instruc- 
tion of  his  fellow  citizens,  he  was  condemned  to  death,  399  B.C. 


48  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

did  not  go  to  make  themselves  rich,  w.hen  they  sailed  out 
one  after  another  into  the  dreary,  frozen  seas  ;  nor  did  the 
ladies,  who  went  out  last  year,1  to  drudge  in  the  hospitals 
of  the  East,  making  themselves  poor  that  they  might  be 
rich  in  noble  works.  And  young  men,  too,  whom  you 
know,  children,  and  some  of  them  of  your  own  kin,  did 
they  say  to  themselves,  "  How  much  money  shall  I  earn  ? " 
when  they  went  out  to  the  war,  leaving  wealth,  and  com- 
fort, and  a  pleasant  home,  and  all  that  money  can  give,  to 
face  hunger  and  thirst,  and  wounds  and  death,  that  they 
might  fight  for  J:heir  country  and  their  Queen  ?  No,  chil- 
dren, there  is  a  better  thing  on  earth  than  wealth,  a  better 
thing  than  life  itself ;  and  that  is,  to  have  done  something 
before  you  die,  for  which  good  men  may  honor  you,  and 
God  your  Father  smile  upon  your  work. 

Therefore,  we  will  believe  —  why  should  we  not?  —  of 
these  same  Argonauts  of  old,  that  they  too  were  noble 
men,  who  planned  and  did  a  noble  deed  ;  and  that  there- 
fore their  fame  has  lived,  and  been  told  in  story  and  in 
song,  mixed  up,  no  doubt,  with  dreams  and  fables,  and  yet 
true  and  right  at  heart.  So  we  will  honor  these  old  Argo- 
nauts, and  listen  to  their  story  as  it  stands  ;  and  we  will 
try  to  be  like  them,  each  of  us  in  our  place  ;  for  each  of  us 
has  a  Golden  Fleece  to  seek,  and  a  wild  sea  to  sail  over 
ere  we  reach  it,  and  dragons  to  fight  ere  it  be  ours. 

And  what  was  that  first  Golden  Fleece  ?  I  do  not 
know,  nor  care.  The  old  Hellens  said  that  it  hung  in 
Colchis,  what  we  call  the  Circassian  coast,  nailed  to  a 
beech-tree  in  the  war-god's  wood ;  and  that  it  was  the 
fleece  of  the  wondrous  ram  who  bore  Phrixus  and  Helle 

1  The  reference  is  to  the  services  of  Florence  Nightingale  and  other  ladies 
jn  the  Crimean  war. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  49 

across  the  Euxine  Sea.  For  Phrixus  and  Helle  were  the 
children  of  the  cloud-nymph,  and  of  Athamas  the  Minyan1 
king.  And  when  a  famine  came  upon  the  land,  their 
cruel  step-mother,  Ino,  wished  to  kill  them  that  her  own 
children  might  reign,  and  said  that  they  must  be  sacrificed 
on  an  altar,  to  turn  away  the  anger  of  the  gods.  So  the 
poor  children  were  brought  to  the  altar,  and  the  priest 
stood  ready  with  his  knife,  when  out  of  the  clouds  came 
the  Golden  Ram,  and  took  them  on  his  back,  and  van- 
ished. Then  madness  came  upon  that  foolish  king  Atha- 
mas, and  ruin  upon  Ino  and  her  children.  For  Athamas 
killed  one  of  them  in  his  fury,  and  Ino  fled  from  him  with 
the  other  in  her  arms,  and  leaped  from  a  cliff  into  the  sea, 
and  was  changed  into  a  dolphin  s'uch  as  you  have  seen, 
which  wanders  over  the  waves  forever  sighing,  with  its 
little  one  clasped  to  its  breast. 

But  the  people  drove  out  King  Athamas,  because  he 
had  killed  his  child ;  and  he  roamed  about  in  his  misery, 
till  he  came  to  the  Oracle 2  in  Delphi.  And  the  Oracle 
told  him  that  he  must  wander  for  his  sin,  till  the  wild 
beasts  should  feast  him  as  their  guest.  So  he  went  on  in 
hunger  and  sorrow  for  many  a  weary  day,  till  he  saw  a 
pack  of  wolves.  The  wolves  were  tearing  a  sheep ;  but 
when  they  saw  Athamas  they  fled,  and  left  the  sheep  for 

1  The  Minyans,  or  Minyce,  were  a  race  of  heroes,  whose  capital  was  Or- 
chomenus,  in  Bceotia. 

2  Within  the  temple  of  Apollo  at  Delphi  was  an  opening  in  the  ground, 
from  which,  at  times,  intoxicating  fumes  issued.  Over  this  opening  a  three- 
legged  stand,  called  a  tripod,  was  placed.  When  a  suppliant  came  to  ask 
counsel  of  the  god,  the  priestess  took  her  seat  on  the  tripod,  and  yielded  her- 
self up  to  the  intoxicating  influence  of  the  fumes  which  ascended  from  the 
opening.  The  words  which  she  then  uttered  were  believed  to  be  inspired  by 
Apollo.  The  term  "  oracle  "  was  applied  both  to  the  response  of  the  priestess 
and  to  the  place  in  which  the  response  was  given. 


CO  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

him,  and  he  ate  of  it  ;  and  then  he  knew  that  the  oracle 
was  fulfilled  at  last.  So  he  wandered  no  more  :  but  set- 
tled, and  built  a  town,  and  became  a  king  again. 

But  the  ram  carried  the  two  children  far  away  over  land 
and  sea,  till  he  came  to  the  Thracian  Chersonese,  and 
there  Helle  fell  into  the  sea.  So  those  narrow  straits  are 
called  "  Hellespont,1  "  after  her  ;  and  they  bear  that  name 
until  this  day. 

Then  the  ram  flew  on  with  Phrixus  to  the  northeast, 
across  the  sea  which  we  call  the  Black  Sea  now  ;  but  the 
Hellens  called  it  Euxine.  And  at  last,  they  say,  he 
stopped  at  Colchis,  on  the  steep  Circassian  coast;  and 
there  Phrixus  married  Chalciope,  the  daughter  of  vEetes 
the  king;  and  offered  the  ram  in  sacrifice;  and  yEetes 
nailed  the  ram's  fleece  to  a  beech,  in  the  grove  of  Ares  the 
war-god. 

And  after  a  while  Phrixus  died  and  was  buried,  but  his 
spirit  had  no  rest ;  for  he  was  buried  far  from  his  native 
land,  and  the  pleasant  hills  of  Hellas.  So  he  came  in 
dreams  to  the  heroes  of  the  Minyae,  and  called  sadly  by 
their  beds,  —  "Come  and  set  my  spirit  free,  that  I  may 
go  home  to  my  fathers  and  to  my  kinsfolk,  and  the  pleasant 
Minyan  land." 

And  they  asked,  — "  How  shall  we  set  your  spirit 
free?" 

"  You  must  sail  over  the  sea  to  Colchis,  and  bring  home 
the  golden  fleece  ;  and  then  my  spirit  will  come  back  with 
it,  and  I  shall  sleep  with  my  fathers  and  have  rest." 

He  came  thus,  and  called  to  them  often  :  but  when 
they  woke  they  looked  at  each  other,  and  said,  —  "Who 
dare  sail  to  Colchis,  or  bring  home  the  golden  fleece  ?  " 
And  in  all  the  country  none  was  brave  enough  to  try  it ; 
for  the  man  and  the  time  were  not  come. 

1  The  word  signifies  HellSs  sea. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  5  I 

Phrixus  had  a  cousin  called  /Eson,  who  was  king  in 
Iolcus  by  the  sea.  There  he  ruled  over  the  rich  Minyan 
heroes,  as  Athamas  his  uncle  ruled  in  Bceotia ;  and  like 
Athamas,  he  was  an  unhappy  man.  For  he  had  a  step- 
brother named  Pelias,  of  whom  some  said  that  he  was  a 
nymph's  son,  and  there  were  dark  and  sad  tales  about  his 
birth.  When  he  was  a  babe  he  was  cast  out  on  the  moun- 
tains, and  a  wild  mare  came  by  and  kicked  him.  But  a 
shepherd  passing  found  the  baby,  with  its  face  all  black- 
ened by  the  blow  ;  and  took  him  home,  and  called  him 
Pelias,1  because  his  face  was  bruised  and  black.  And 
he  grew  up  fierce  and  lawless,  and  did  many  a  fearful 
deed  ;  and  at  last  he  drove  out  /Eson  his  step-brother,  and 
then  his  own  brother  Neleus,  and  took  the  kingdom  to 
himself,  and  ruled  over  the  rich  Minyan  heroes,  in  Iolcus 
by  the  sea. 

And  /Eson,  when  he  was  driven  out,  went  sadly  away 
out  of  the  town,  leading  his  little  son  by  the  hand  ;  and 
he  said  to  himself,  "  I  must  hide  the  child  in  the  moun- 
tains, or  Pelias  will  surely  kill  him,  because  he  is  the 
heir." 

So  he  went  up  from  the  sea  across  the  valley,  through 
the  vineyards  and  the  olive  groves,  and  across  the  torrent 
of  Anaurus,  toward  Pelion  the  ancient  mountain,  whose 
brows  are  white  with  snow. 

He  went  up  and  up  into  the  mountain,  over  marsh  and 
crag,  and  down,  till  the  boy  was  tired  and  foot-sore,  and 
^Eson  had  to  bear  him  in  his  arms,  till  he  came  to  the 
mouth  of  a  lonely  cave,  at  the  foot  of  a  mighty  cliff. 

Above  the  cliff  the  snow  wreaths  hung,  dripping  and 
cracking  in  the  sun  :  but  at  its  foot,  around  the  cave's 
mouth,  grew  all  fair  flowers  and  herbs,  as  if  in  a  garden, 

1  The  name  signifies  the  Discolored. 


52  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

ranged  in  order,  each  sort  by  itself.  ■  There  they  grew 
gayly  in  the  sunshine,  and  the  spray  of  the  torrent  from 
above  ;  while  from  the  cave  came  a  sound  of  music,  and  a 
man's  voice  singing,  to  the  harp. 

Then  ^Eson  put  down  the  lad,  and  whispered,  — 

"  Fear  not,  but  go  in,  and  whomsoever  you  shall  find, 
lay  your  hands  upon  his  knees,  and  say,  '  In  the  name  of 
Zeus,  the  Father  of  gods  and  men,  I  am  your  guest  from 
this  day  forth.'  " 

Then  the  lad  went  in  without  trembling,  for  he  too  was 
a  hero's  son  :  but  when  he  was  within,  he  stopped  in  won- 
der, to  listen  to  that  magic  song. 

And  there  he  saw  the  singer  lying  upon  bear-skins  and 
fragrant  boughs  ;  Cheiron,  the  ancient  Centaur,  the  wisest 
of  all  things  beneath  the  sky.  Down  to  the  waist  he  was 
a  man  ;  but  below  he  was  a  noble  horse  ;  his  white  hair 
rolled  down  over  his  broad  shoulders,  and  his  white  beard 
over  his  broad  brown  chest  ;  and  his  eyes  were  wise  and 
mild,  and  his  forehead  like  a  mountain-wall. 

And  in  his  hands  he  held  a  harp  of  gold,  and  struck  it 
with  a  golden  key  ;  and  as  he  struck  he  sang  till  his  eyes 
glittered,  and  filled  all  the  cave  with  light. 

And  he  sang  of  the  birth  of  Time,  and  of  the  heavens 
and  the  dancing  stars  ;  and  of  the  ocean,  and  the  ether,1 
and  the  fire,  and  th,e  shaping  of  the  wondrous  earth.  And 
he  sang  of  the  treasures  of  the  hills,  and  the  hidden  jewels 
Of  the  mine,  and  the  veins  of  fire  and  metal,  and  the  vir- 
tues of  all  healing  herbs,  and  of  the  speech  of  birds,  and 
of  prophecy,  and  of  hidden  things  to  come. 

Then  he  sang  of  health,  and  strength,  and  manhood, 
and  a  valiant  heart  ;  and  of  music,  and  hunting,  and 
wrestling,  and  all  the  games  which  heroes  love  ;  and  of 

1  The  upper,  purer  air. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  53 

travel,  and  wars,  and  sieges,  and  a  noble  death  in  right  ; 
and  then  he  sang  of  peace  and  plenty,  and  of  equal  jus- 
tice in  the  land  :  and  as  he  sang,  the  boy  listened  wide- 
eyed,  and  forgot  his  errand  in  the  song. 

And  at  last  old  Cheiron  was  silent,  and  called  the  lad 
with  a  soft  voice. 

And  the  lad  ran  trembling  to  him,  and  would  have  laid 
his  hands  upon  his  knees  :  but  Cheiron  smiled,  and  said, 
"  Call  hither  your  father  /Eson,  for  I  know  you,  and  all 
that  has  befallen,  and  saw  you  both  afar  in  the  valley, 
even  before  you  left  the  town." 

Then  yEson  came  in  sadly,  and  Cheiron  asked  him, 
"Why  came  you  not  yourself  to  me,  yEson,  the  ^Eolid1?" 

And  tEsoii  said,  — 

"  I  thought,  Cheiron  will  pity  the  lad  if  he  sees  him 
come  alone  ;  and  I  wished  to  try  whether  he  was  fearless, 
and  dare  venture  like  a  hero's  son.  But  now  I  entreat 
you  by  Father  Zeus,  let  the  boy  be  your  guest  till  better 
times,  and  train  him  among  the  sons  of  the  heroes,  that 
he  may  avenge  his  father's  house." 

Then  Cheiron  smiled,  and  drew  the  lad  to  him,  and  laid 
his  hand  upon  his  golden  locks,  and  said,  "  Are  you  afraid 
of  my  horse's  hoofs,  fair  boy,  or  will  you  be  my  pupil  from 
this  day  ? " 

"  I  would  gladly  have  horse's  hoofs  like  you,  if  I  could 
sing  such  songs  as  yours." 

'And  Cheiron  laughed,  and  said,  "  Sit  here  by  me  till 
sundown,  when  your  playfellows  will  come  home,  and  you 
shall  learn  like  them  to  be  a  king,  worthy  to  rule  over 
gallant  men." 

Then  he  turned  to  vEson,  and  said,  "  Go  back  in  peace, 

1  The  word  signifies  descendant  of  JEohts ;  /Eson  was  grandson  to  /Eolus, 
a  ruler  of  Thessaly. 


54  THE  ARGONAUTS, 

and  bend  before  the  storm  like  a  prudent  man.  This  boy 
shall  not  cross  the  Anaurus  again,  till  he  has  become  a 
glory  to  you  and  to  the  house  of  yEolus." 

And  v^Eson  wept  over  his  son  and  went  away  ;  but  the 
boy  did  not  weep,  so  full  was  his  fancy  of  that  strange 
cave,  and  the  Centaur,  and  his  song,  and  the  playfellows 
whom  he  was  to  see. 

Then  Cheiron  put  the  lyre  into  his  hands,  and  taught 
him  how  to  play  it,  till  the  sun  sank  low  behind  the  cliff, 
and  a  shout  was  heard  outside. 

And  then  in  came  the  sons  of  the  heroes,  ^Eneas,1  and 
Heracles,  and  Peleus,2  and  many  another  mighty  name. 

And  great  Cheiron  leapt  up  joyfully,  and  his  hoofs 
made  the  cave  resound,  as  they  shouted,  "  Come  out, 
Father  Cheiron  ;  come  out  and  see  our  game."  And  one 
cried,  "  I  have  killed  two  deer,"  and  another,  "  I  took  a 
wild  cat  among  the  crags  ; "  and  Heracles  dragged  a  wild 
goat  after  him  by  its  horns,  for  he  was  as  huge  as  a' 
mountain  crag;  and  Cseneus8  carried  a  bear-cub  under 
each  arm,  and  laughed  when  they  scratched  and  bit ; 
for  neither  tooth  nor  steel  could  wound  him. 

And  Cheiron  praised  them  all,  each  according  to  his 
deserts. 

Only  one  walked  apart  and  silent,  Asclepius,  the  too- 
wise  child,  with  his  bosom  full  of  herbs  and  flowers,  and 
round  his  wrist  a  spotted  snake  ;  he  came  with  downcast 
eyes  to  Cheiron,  and  whispered  how  he  had  watched  the 
snake  cast  his  old  skin,  and  grow  young  again  before  his 
eyes,  and  how  he  had  gone  down  into  a  village  in  the  vale, 

1  One  of  the  heroes  of  the  Trojan  war.  He  afterwards  wandered  to  Italy, 
and,  according  to  tradition,  became  the  founder  of  the  Roman  nation. 

2  Father  of  the  hero  Achilles. 

3  Ccenens  was  originally  a  maiden  beloved  by  Poseidon.  She  had  been 
transformed  by  the  latter  into  a  youth,  and  made  invulnerable. 


\ 


Greek  Heroes.  —  Page  54. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  55 

and  cured  a  dying  man  with  an  herb  which  he  had  seen  a 
sick  goat  eat. 

And  Cheiron  smiled,  and  said,  "  To  each  Athene  and 
Apollo  give  some  gift,  and  each  is  worthy  in  his  place  ; 
but  to  this  child  they  have  given  an  honor  beyond  all 
honors,  to  cure  while  others  kill." 

Then  the  lads  brought  in  wood,  and  split  it,  and  lighted 
a  blazing  fire  ;  and  others  skinned  the  deer  and  quartered 
them,  and  set  them  to  roast  before  the  fire  ;  and  while  the 
venison  was  cooking  they  bathed  in  the  snow  torrent,  and 
washed  away  the  dust  and  sweat. 

And  then  all  ate  till  they  could  eat  no  more  (for  they 
had  tasted  nothing  since  the  dawn),  and  drank  of  the 
clear  spring  water,  for  wine  is  not  fit  for  growing  lads. 
And  when  the  remnants  were  put  away,  they  all  lay  down 
upon  the  skins  and  leaves  about  the  fire,  and  each  took 
the  lyre  in  turn,  and  sang  and  played  with  all  his  heart. 

And  after  a  while  they  all  went  out  to  a  plot  of  grass 
at  the  cave's  mouth,  and  there  they  boxed,  and  ran,  and 
wrestled,  and  laughed  till  the  stones  fell  from  the  cliffs. 

Then  Cheiron  took  his  lyre,  and  all  the  lads  joined 
hands  ;  and  as  he  played,  they  danced  to  his  measure,  in 
and  out,  and  round  and  round.  There  they  danced  hand 
in  hand,  till  the  night  fell  over  land  and  sea,  while  the 
black  glen  shone  with  their  broad  white .  limbs,  and  the 
gleam  of  their  golden  hair. 

And  the  lad  danced  with  them,  delighted,  and  then 
slept  a  wholesome  sleep,  upon  fragrant  leaves  of  bay, 
and  myrtle,  and  marjoram,  and  flowers  of  thyme ;  and 
rose  at  the  dawn,  and  bathed  in  the  torrent,  and  became 
a  schoolfellow  to  the  heroes'  sons,  and  forgot  Iolcus,  and 
his  father,  and  all  his  former  life.  But  he  grew  strong, 
and    brave,    and    cunning,    upon    the    pleasant    downs    of 


$6  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

Pelion,  in  the  keen,  hungry,  mountain  air.  And  he  learnt 
to  wrestle,  and  to  box,  and  to  hunt,  and  to  play  upon  the 
harp  ;  and  next  he  learnt  to  ride,  for  old  Cheiron  used  to 
mount  him  on  his  back  ;  and  he  learnt  the  virtues  of  all 
herbs,  and  how  to  cure  all  wounds  ;  and  Cheiron  called 
him  Jason  the  healer,  and  that  is  his  name  until  this  day. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  5; 


PART     II. 

HOW   JASON    LOST    HIS    SANDAL    IN    ANAURUS. 

And  ten  years  came  and  went,  and  Jason  was  grown  to 
be  a  mighty  man.  Some  of  his  fellows  were  gone,  and 
some  were  growing  up  by  his  side.  Asclepius  was  gone 
into  Peloponnese,  to  work  his  wondrous  cures  on  men  ; 
and  some  say  he  used  to  raise  the  dead  to  life.  And 
Heracles  was  gone  to  Thebes,  to  fulfil  those  famous 
labors  which  have  become  a  proverb  among  men.  And 
Peleus  had  married  a  sea-nymph,  and  his  wedding  is 
famous  to  this  day.  And  ^Eneas  was  gone  home  to  Troy, 
and  many  a  noble  tale  you  will  read  of  him,  and  of  all  the 
other  gallant  heroes,  the  scholars  of  Cheiron  the  just. 
And  it  happened  on  a  day  that  Jason  stood  on  the  moun- 
tain, and  looked  north  and  south,  and  east  and  west ; 
and  Cheiron  stood  by  him  and  watched  him,  for  he  knew 
that  the  time  was  come. 

And  Jason  looked  and  saw  the  plains  of  Thessaly, 
where  the  Lapithae  breed  their  horses  ;  and  the  lake  of 
Bcebe,  and  the  stream  which  runs  northward  to  Peneus 
and  Tempe  ;  and  he  looked  north,  and  saw  the  mountain 
wall  which  guards  the  Magnesian  shore  ;  Olympus,  the 
seat  of  the  Immortals,  and  Ossa,  and  Pelion,  where  he 
stood.  Then  he  looked  east,  and  saw  the  bright  blue  sea, 
which  stretched  away  forever  toward  the  dawn.  Then  he 
looked  south,  and  saw  a  pleasant  land,  with  white-walled 
towns  and  farms,  nestling  along  the  shore  of  a  land-locked 
bay,  while  the  smoke  rose  blue  among  the  trees  ;  and  he 


58  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

knew  it  for  the  bay  of  Pagasae,  and  the  rich  lowlands  of 
Haemonia,1  and  Iolcus  by  the  sea. 

Then  he  sighed,  and  asked  :  "  Is  it  true  what  the  heroes 
tell  me,  that  I  am  heir  of  that  fair  land? " 

"  And  what  good  would  it  be  to  you,  Jason,  if  you  were 
heir  of  that  fair  land  ?  " 

"  I  would  take  it  and  keep  it." 

"  A  strong  man  has  taken  it  and  kept  it  long.  Are  you 
stronger  than  Pelias  the  terrible  ?  " 

"  I  can  try  my  strength  with  his,"  said  Jason.  But  Chei- 
ron  sighed,  and  said,  — 

"You  have  many  a  danger  to  go  through  before  you 
rule  in  Iolcus  by  the  sea  ;  many  a  danger,  and  many  a 
woe ;  and  strange  troubles  in  strange  lands,  such  as  man 
never  saw  before." 

"The  happier  I,"  said  Jason,  "to  sec  what  man  never 
saw  before." 

And  Cheiron  sighed  again,  and  said  :  "The  eaglet  must 
leave  the  nest  when  it  is  fledged.  Will  you  go  to  Iolcus 
by  the  sea?     Then  promise  me  two  things  before  you  go." 

Jason  promised,  and  Cheiron  answered  :  "  Speak  harshly 
to  no  soul  whom  you  may  meet,  and  stand  by  the  word 
which  you  shall  speak." 

Jason  wondered  why  Cheiron  asked  this  of  him  ;  but 
he  knew  that  the  Centaur  was  a  prophet,  and  saw  things 
long  before  they  came.  So  he  promised,  and  leapt  down 
the  mountain,  to  take  his  fortune  like  a  man. 

He  went  down  through  the  arbutus  thickets,  and  across 
the  downs  of  thyme,  till  he  came  to  the  vineyard  walls, 
and  the  pomegranates  and  the  olives  in  the  glen ;  and 
among  the  olives  roared  Anaurus,  all  foaming  with  a  sum- 
mer flood. 

1  Poetical  name  of  Thessaly. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  59 

And  on  the  bank  of  Anaurus  sat  a  woman,  all  wrinkled, 
gray,  and  old  ;  her  head  shook  palsied  on  her  breast,  and 
her  hands  shook  palsied  on  her  knees  ;  and  when  she  saw 
[ason,  she  spoke,  whining  :  "Who  will  carry  me  across  the 
flood?" 

Jason  was  bold  and  hasty,  and  was  just  going  to  leap 
into  the  flood  ;  and  yet  he  thought  twice  before  he  leapt, 
so  loud  roared  the  torrent  down,  all  brown  from  the 
mountain  rains,  and  silver-veined  with  melting  snow  ; 
while  underneath  he  could  hear  the  boulders  rumbling 
like  the  tramp  of  horsemen  or  the  roll  of  wheels,  as  they 
ground  along  the  narrow  channel,  and  shook  the  rocks  on 
which  he  stood. 

But  the  old  woman  whined  all  the  more  :  "  I  am  weak 
and  old,  fair  youth.  For  Hera's  sake,  carry  me  over  the 
torrent." 

And  Jason  was  going  to  answer  her  scornfully,  when 
Cheiron's  words  came  to  his  mind. 

So  he  said  :  "  For  Hera's  sake,  the  Queen  of  the  Im- 
mortals on  Olympus,  I  will  carry  you  over  the  torrent, 
unless  we  both  are  drowned  midway." 

Then  the  old  dame  leapt  upon  his  back,  as  nimbly  as  a 
goat;  and  Jason  staggered  in,  wondering;  and  the  first 
step  was  up  to  his  knees. 

The  first  step  was  up  to  his  knees,  and  the  second  step 
was  up  to  his  waist  :  and  the  stones  rolled  about  his  feet, 
and  his  feet  slipped  about  the  stones ;  so  he  went  on 
staggering  and  panting,  while  the  old  woman  cried  from 
off  his  back,  — 

"  Fool,  you  have  wet  my  mantle  !  Do  you  make  game 
of  poor  old  souls  like  me?" 

Jason  had  half  a  mind  to  drop  her,  and  let  her  get 
through    the    torrent    by  herself;    but    Cheiron's    words 


6o  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

were  in  his  mind,  and  he  said  only,  "  Patience,  mother ; 
the  best  horse  may  stumble  some  day." 

At  last  he  staggered  to  the  shore  and  set  her  down 
upon  the  bank  ;  and  a  strong  man  he  needed  to  have 
been,  or  that  wild  water'  he  never  would  have  crossed. 

He  lay  panting  awhile  upon  the  bank,  and  then  leapt 
up  to  go  upon  his  journey  ;  but  he  cast  one  look  at  the 
old  woman,  for  he  thought,  "  She  should  thank  me  once 
at  least." 

And  as  he  looked  she  grew  fairer  than  all  women,  and 
taller  than  all  men  on  earth  ;  and  her  garments  shone 
like  the  summer  sea,  and  her  jewels  like  the  stars  of 
heaven  ;  and  over  her  forehead  was  a  veil,  woven  of  the 
golden  clouds  of  sunset  ;  and  through  the  veil  she  looked 
down  on  him  with  great  soft  heifer's  eyes ;  with  great 
eyes,  mild  and  awful,  which  filled  all  the  glen  with  light. 

And  Jason  fell  upon  his  knees,  and  hid  his  face  between 
his  hands. 

And  she  spoke,  "  I  am  the  Queen  of  Olympus,  Hera 
the  wife  of  Zeus.  As  thou  hast  done  to  me,  so  will  I  do 
to  thee.  Call  on  me  in  the  hour  of  need,  and  try  if  the 
Immortals  can  forget." 

And  when  Jason  looked  up,  she  rose  from  off  the  earth 
like  a  pillar  of  tall  white  cloud,  and  floated  away  across 
the  mountain  peaks,  toward  Olympus  the  holy  hill. 

Then  a  great  fear  fell  on  Jason  ;  but  after  a  while  he 
grew  light  of  heart  ;  and  he  blessed  old  Cheiron,  and 
said,  "  Surely  the  Centaur  is  a  prophet,  and  guessed  what 
would  come  to  pass,  when  he  bade  me  speak  harshly  to  no 
soul  whom   I  might  meet." 

Then  he  went  down  toward  lolcus,  and  as  he  walked  he 
found  that  he  had  lost  one  of  his  sandals  in  the  flood. 

And   as  he  went  through  the  streets  the  people  came 


VV\ 


m  - 


IT 


mm/, 


Greek  Heroes.  —  Page  60. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  6 1 

out  to  look  at  him,  so  tall  and  fair  was  he ;  but  some  of 
the  elders  whispered  together ;  and  at  last  one  of  them 
stopped  Jason,  and  called  to  him,  "  Fair  lad,  who  are  you, 
and  whence  come  you,  and  what  is  your  errand  in  the 
town  ? " 

"My  name,  good  father,  is  Jason,  and  I  come  from 
Pelion  up  above  :  and  my  errand  is  to  Pelias  your  king ; 
tell  me  then  where  his  palace  is." 

But  the  old  man  started,  and  grew  pale,  and  said,  "  Do 
you  not  know  the  oracle,  my  son,  that  you  go  so  boldly 
through  the  town  with  but  one  sandal  on  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  stranger  here,  and  know  of  no  oracle ;  but 
what  of  my  one  sandal  ?  I  lost  the  other  in  Anaurus 
while  I  was  struggling  with  the  flood." 

Then  the  old  man  looked  back  to  his  companions  ;  and 
one  sighed  and  another  smiled  ;  at  last  he  said,  "  I  will 
tell  you,  lest  you  rush  upon  your  ruin  unawares.  The 
oracle  in  Delphi  has  said  that  a  man  wearing  one  sandal 
should  take  the  kingdom  from  Pelias,  and  keep  it  for 
himself.  Therefore  beware  how  you  go  up  to  his  palace, 
for  he  is  the  fiercest  and  most  cunning  of  all  kings." 

Then  Jason  laughed  a  great  laugh,  like  a  war-horse  in 
his  pride,  —  "  Good  news,  good  father,  both  for  you  and 
me.     For  that  very  end  I  came  into  the  town." 

Then  he  strode  on  toward  the  palace  of  Pelias,  while 
all  the  people  wondered  at  his  bearing. 

And  he  stood  in  the  doorway,  and  cried,  "Come  out, 
come  out,  Pelias  the  valiant,  and  fight  for  your  kingdom 
like  a  man." 

Pelias  came  out,  wondering,  and  "  Who  are  you,  bold 
youth  ?  "  he  cried. 

"lam  Jason,  the  son  of  y^Eson,  the  heir  of  all  this 
land," 


62  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

Then  Pelias  lifted  up  his  hands  and  eyes,  and  wept,  or 
seemed  to  weep,  and  blessed  the  heavens  which  had 
brought  his  nephew  to  him,  never  to  leave  him  more." 
"  For,"  said  he,  "  I  have  but  three  daughters,  and  no  son 
to  be  my  heir.  You  shall  be  my  heir  then,  and  rule  the 
kingdom  after  me,  and  marry  whichsoever  of  my  daugh- 
ters you  shall  choose  ;  though  a  sad  kingdom  you  will  find 
it,  and  whosoever  rules  it  a  miserable  man.  But  come  in, 
come  in  and  feast." 

So  he  drew  Jason  in,  whether  he  would  or  not,  and 
spoke  to  him  so  lovingly  and  feasted  him  so  well  that 
Jason's  anger  passed  ;  and  after  supper  his  three  cousins 
came  into  the  hall,  and  Jason  thought  that  he  should  like 
well  enough  to  have  one  of  them  for  his  wife. 

But  at  last  he  said  to  Pelias,  "  Why  do  you  look  so  sad, 
my  uncle?  And  what  did  you  mean  just  now,  when  you 
said  that  this  was  a  doleful  kingdom  and  its  ruler  a  miser- 
able man  ? " 

Then  Pelias  sighed  heavily  again  and  again  and  again, 
like  a  man  who  had  to  tell  some  dreadful  story,  and  was 
afraid  to  begin  ;  but  at  last  — 

"  For  seven  long  years  and  more  have  I  never  known  a 
quiet  night  ;  and  no  more  will  he  who  comes  after  me  till 
the  golden  fleece  be  brought  home." 

Then  he  told  Jason  the  story  of  Phrixus,  and  of  the 
golden  fleece;  and  told  him  too,  which  was  a  lie,  that 
Phrixus' s  spirit  tormented  him,  calling  to  him  day  and 
night.  And  his  daughters  came  and  told  the  same  tale 
(for  their  father  had  taught  them  their  parts),  and  wept, 
and  said,  "Oh,  who  will  bring  home  the  golden  fleece, 
that  our  uncle's  spirit  may  have  rest ;  and  that  we  may 
have  rest  also,  whom  he  never  lets  sleep  in  peace?" 

Jason  sat  awhile  sad  and  silent,  for  he  had  often  heard 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  6$ 

of  that  golden  fleece,  but  he  looked  on  it  as  a  thing  hope- 
less and  impossible  for  any  mortal  man  to  win  it. 

But  when  Pelias  saw  him  silent  he  began  to  talk  of 
other  things,  and  courted  Jason  more  and  more,  speaking 
to  him  as  if  he  was  certain  to  be  his  heir,  and  asking  his 
advice  about  the  kingdom  ;  till  Jason,  who  was  young  and 
simple,  could  not  help  saying  to  himself,  "  Surely  he  is 
not  the  dark  man  whom  people  call  him.  Yet  why  did 
he  drive  my  father  out  ?  "  And  he  asked  Pelias  boldly, 
"  Men  say  that  you  are  terrible,  and  a  man  of  blood  ;  but 
I  find  you  a  kind  and  hospitable  man ;  and  as  you  are  to 
me,  so  will  I  be  to  you.  Yet  why  did  you  drive  my 
father  out  ?  " 

Pelias  smiled  and  sighed  :  "  Men  have  slandered  me  in 
that  as  in  all  things.  Your  father  was  growing  old  and 
weary,  and  he  gave  the  kingdom  up  to  me  of  his  own 
will.  You  shall  see  him  to-morrow  and  ask  him,  and  he 
will  tell  you  the  same." 

Jason's  heart  leapt  in  him  when  he  heard  that  he  was 
to  see  his  father ;  and  he  believed  all  that  Pelias  said, 
forgetting  that  his  father  might  not  dare  to  tell  the  truth. 

"One  thing  more  there  is,"  said  Pelias,  "on  which  I 
need  your  advice  ;  for  though  you  are  young,  I  see  in  you 
a  wisdom  beyond  your  years.  There  is  one  neighbor  of 
mine  whom  I  dread  more  than  all  men  on  earth.  I  am 
stronger  than  he  now,  and  can  command  him  :  but  I  know 
that  if  he  stay  among  us,  he  will  work  my  ruin  in  the  end. 
Can  you  give  me  a  plan,  Jason,  by  which  I  can  rid  myself 
of  that  man  ?  " 

After  a  while  Jason  answered,  half  laughing,  "  Were  I 
you,  I  would  send  him  to  fetch  that  same  golden  fleece  ;  for 
if  he  once  set  forth  after  it,  you  would  never  be  troubled 
with  him  more." 


64  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

§ 

And  at  that  a  bitter  smile  came  across  Pelias's  lips,  and 
a  flash  of  wicked  joy  into  his  eyes  ;  and  Jason  saw  it,  and 
started  ;  and  over  his  mind  came  the  warning  of  the  old 
man,  and  his  own  one  sandal,  and  the  oracle,  and  he  saw 
that  he  was  taken  in  a  trap. 

But  Pelias  only  answered  gently,  "  My  son,  he  shall  be 
sent  forthwith." 

"  You  mean  me,"  cried  Jason,  starting  up,  "because  I 
came  here  with  one  sandal ! "  And  he  lifted  his  fist 
angrily,  while  Pelias  stood  up  to  him  like  a  wolf  at  bay  ; 
and  whether  of  the  two  was  the  stronger  and  the  fiercer 
it  would  be  hard  to  tell. 

But  after  a  moment  Pelias  spoke  gently,  "Why  then  so 
rash,  my  son  ?  You,  and  not  I,  have  said  what  is  said  ; 
why  blame  me  for  what  I  have  not  done  ?  Had  you  bid 
me  love  the  man  of  whom  I  spoke,  and  make  him  my  son- 
in-law  and  heir,  I  would  have  obeyed  you ;  and  what  if  I 
obey  you  now,  and  send  the  man  to  win  himself  immortal 
fame  ?  I  have  not  harmed  you  or  him.  One  thing  at 
least  I  know,  that  he  will  go,  and  that  gladly  ;  for  he  has 
a  hero's  heart  within  him,  loving  glory,  and  scorning  to 
break  the  word  which  he  has  given." 

Jason  saw  that  he  was  entrapped  :  but  his  second  prom- 
ise to  Cheiron  came  into  his  mind,  and  he  thought,  "What 
if  the  Centaur  were  a  prophet  in  that  also,  and  meant  that 
I  should  win  the  fleece  !  "     Then  he  cried  aloud,  — 

"  You  have  well  spoken,  cunning  uncle  of  mine !  I 
love  glory,  and  I  dare  keep  to  my  word.  I  will  go  and 
fetch  this  golden  fleece.  Promise  me  but  this  in  return, 
and  keep  your  word  as  I  keep  mine.  Treat  my  father 
lovingly  while  I  am  gone,  for  the  sake  of  the  all-seeing 
Zeus  ;  and  give  me  up  the  kingdom  for  my  own,  on  the 
day  that  I  bring  back  the  golden  fleece," 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  65 

Then  Pelias  looked  at  him,  and  almost  loved  him,  in 
the  midst  of  all  his  hate,  and  said,  "  I  promise,  and  I  will 
perform.  It  will  be  no  shame  to  give  up  my  kingdom  to 
the  man  who  wins  that  fleece." 

Then  they  swore  a  great  oath  between  them  ;  and  after- 
wards both  went  in,  and  lay  down  to  sleep. 

But  Jason  could  not  sleep  for  thinking  of  his  mighty 
oath,  and  how  he  was  to  fulfil  it,  all  alone,  and  without 
wealth  or  friends.  So  he  tossed  a  long  time  upon  his  bed, 
and  thought  of  this  plan  and  of  that ;  and  sometimes 
Phrixus  seemed  to  call  him,  in  a  thin  voice,  faint  and  low, 
as  if  it  came  from  far  across  the  sea,  —  "  Let  me  come  home 
to  my  fathers  and  have  rest."  And  sometimes  he  seemed 
to  see  the  eyes  of  Hera,  and  to  hear  her  words  again, — 
"Call  on  me  in  the  hour  of  need,  and  see  if  the  Immortals 
can  forget." 

And  on  the  morrow  he  went  to  Pelias,  and  said,  "  Give 
me  a  victim,  that  I  may  sacrifice  to  Hera."  So  he  went 
up,  and  offered  his  sacrifice  ;  and  as  he  stood  by  the  altar, 
Hera-  sent  a  thought  into  his  mind ;  and  he  went  back  to 
Pelias,  and  said,  — 

"If  you  are  indeed  in  earnest,  give  me  two  heralds  that 
they  may  go  round  to  all  the  princes  of  the  Minyae,  who 
were  pupils  of  the  Centaur  with  me,  that  we  may  fit  out  a 
ship  together,  and  take  what  shall  befall." 

At  that  Pelias  praised  his  wisdom,  and  hastened  to 
send  the  heralds  out ;  for  he  said  in  his  heart,  "  Let  all 
the  princes  go  with  him,  and  like  him,  never  return  ;  for 
so  I  shall  be  lord  of  all  the  Minyae,  and  the  greatest  king- 
in  Hellas.'' 


66  THE  ARGONAUTS. 


PART    III. 

HOW    THEY    BUILT    THE    SHIP    ARG.O    IN    IOLCUS. 

So  the  heralds  went  out,  and  cried  to  all  the  heroes  of 
the  Minyse,  "  Who  dare  come  to  the  adventure  of  the 
golden  fleece  ? " 

And  Hera  stirred  the  hearts  of  all  the  princes,  and  they 
came  from  all  their  valleys  to  the  yellow  sands  of  Pagasac. 
And  first  came  Heracles  the  mighty,  with  his  lion's  skin 
and  club,  and  behind  him  Hylas,  his  young  squire,  who 
bore  his  arrows  and  his  bow  ;  and  Tiphys,  the  skilful 
steersman  ;  and  Butes,  the  fairest  of  all  men  ;  and  Castor 
and  Polydeuces  1  the  twins,  the  sons  of  the  magic  swan  ; 
and  Caeneus,  the  strongest  of  mortals,  whom  the  Centaurs 
tried  in  vain  to  kill,  and  overwhelmed  him  with  trunks  of 
pine-trees,  but  even  so  he  would  not  die  ;  and  thither 
came  Zetes  and  Calais,  the  winged  sons  of  the  North- 
wind  ;  and  Peleus,  the  father  of  Achilles,  whose  bride 
was  silver-footed  Thetis  the  goddess  of  the  sea.  And 
thither  came  Telamon2  and  Oileus,3  the  fathers  of  the 
two  ^Eantes,4  who  fought  upon  the  plains  of  Troy5;  and 
Mopsus,   the   wise   soothsayer,   who   knew  the   speech   of 

1  The  Latin  form  of  this  name  is  Pollux. 

2  King  of  Salamis,  and  father  of  yEas  (Lat.  Ajax)  the  Great. 

3  King  of  the  Locri,  and  father  of  yEas  (Lat.  Ajax)  the  Less. 

4  The  plural  form  of  ^Eas  (Lat.  Ajax). 

5  The  allusion  is  to  the  famous  Trojan  war,  waged  by  the  Greeks  against 
the  Trojans  for  the  recovery  of  Helen.  Helen,  the  loveliest  of  the  Grecian 
women,  had  been  carried  away  from  her  home  in  Sparta  by  Paris,  a  Trojan 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  6 J 

birds  ;  and  Idmon,  to  whom  Phoebus  gave  a  tongue  to 
prophesy  of  things  to  come  ;  and  Ancaeus,  who  could  read 
the  stars,  and  knew  all  the  circles  of  the  heavens  ;  and 
Argus,  the  famed  shipbuilder,  and  many  a  hero  more,  in 
helmets  of  brass  and  gold  with  tall  dyed  horse-hair  crests, 
and  embroidered  shirts  of  linen  beneath  their  coats  of 
mail,  and  greaves  of  polished  tin  to  guard  their  knees  in 
fight  ;  with  each  man  his  shield  upon  his  shoulder,  of 
many  a  fold  of  tough  bull's  hide,  and  his  sword  of  tem- 
pered bronze  in  his  silver-studded  belt,  and  in  his  right 
hand  a  pair  of  lances  of  the  heavy  white  ash-staves. 

So  they  came  down  to  Iolcus,  and  all  the  city  came  out 
to  meet  them,  and  were  never  tired  with  looking  at  their 
height,  and  their  beauty,  and  their  gallant  bearing,  and  the 
glitter  of  their  inlaid  arms.  And  some  said,  "  Never  was 
such  a  gathering  of  the  heroes  since  the  Hellens  con- 
quered the  land."  But  the  women  sighed  over  them,  and 
whispered,  "Alas  !  they  are  all  going  to  their  death." 

Then  they  felled  the  pines  on  Pelion,  and  shaped  them 
with  the  axe,  and  Argus  taught  them  to  build  a  galley, 
the  first  long  ship  which  ever  sailed  the  seas.  They 
pierced  her  for  fifty  oars,  an  oar  for  each  hero  of  the 
crew,  and  pitched  her  with  coal-black  pitch,  and  painted 
her  bows  with  vermilion  ;  and  they  named  her  Argo  after 
Argus,  and  worked  at  her  all  day  long.  And  at  night 
Pelias  feasted  them  like  a  king,  and  they  slept  in  his 
palace-porch. 

J  But  Jason  went  away  to  the  northward,  and  into  the 
land  of  Thrace,  till  he  found  Orpheus,  the  prince  of  min- 
strels, where  he  dwelt  in  his  cave  under  Rhodope,  among 
the  savage  Cicon  tribes.  And  he  asked  him,  "  Will  you 
leave  your  mountains,  Orpheus,  my  fellow-scholar  in  old 
times,  and  cross  Strymon  once  more  with  me,  to  sail  with 


68  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

the  heroes  of  the  Minyae,  and  bring  home  the  golden 
fleece,  and  charm  for  us  all  men  and  all  monsters  with 
your  magic  harp  and  song?" 

Then  Orpheus  sighed,  "  Have  I  not  had  enough  of  toil 
and  of  weary  wandering  far  and  wide,  since  I  lived  in 
Cheiron's  cave,  above  Iolcus  by  the  sea?  In  vain  is  the 
skill  and  the  voice  which  my  goddess  mother  gave  me  ; 
in  vain  have  I  sung  and  labored  ;  in  vain  I  went  down  to 
the  dead,  and  charmed  all  the  kings  of  Hades,  to  win 
back  Eurydice :  my  bride.  For  I  won  her,  my  beloved, 
and  lost  her  again  the  same  day,  and  wandered  away  in 
my  madness,  even  to  Egypt  and  the  Libyan  sands,  and 
the  isles  of  all  the  seas,  driven  on  by  the  terrible  gadfly, 
while  I  charmed  in  vain  the  hearts  of  men,  and  the  savage 
forest  beasts,  and  the  trees,  and  the  lifeless  stones,  with 
my  magic  harp  and  song,  giving  rest,  but  finding  none. 
But  at  last  Calliope,2  my  mother,  delivered  me,  and  brought 
me  home  in  peace  ;  and  I  dwell  here  in  the  cave  alone, 
among  the  savage  Cicon  tribes,  softening  their  wild  hearts 
with  music  and  the  gentle  laws  of  Zeus.  And  now  I  must 
go  out  again,  to  the  ends  of  all  the  earth,  far  away  into  the 
misty  darkness,  to  the  last  wave  of  the  Eastern  Sea.  But 
whiat  is  doomed  must  be,  and  a  friend's  demand  obeyed ; 
for  prayers  are  the  daughters  of  Zeus,  and  who  honors 
them  honors  him." 

Then  Orpheus  rose  up  sighing,  and  took  his  harp,  and 
went  over  Strymon.     And  he  led  Jason  to  the  southwest, 

1  On  the  death  of  Eurydice,  Orpheus  followed  her  into  the  lower  world. 
There  he  so  charmed  Pluto  by  the  music  of  his  lyre  as  to  win  a  promise  that 
his  wife  should  be  restored  to  him,  but  only  on  condition  that  he  should  not 
look  back  upon  her  until  they  reached  the  upper  world.  The  anxiety  of 
affection,  however,  overcame  him  just  as  he  was  on  the  point  of  emerging 
from  the  shades,  and  he  looked  back  only  to  see  her  vanish  in  the  darkness. 

2  One  of  the  nine  muses. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  69 

up  the  banks  of  Haliacmon  and  over  the  spurs  of  Pindus, 
to  Dodona,1  the  town  of  Zeus,  where  it  stood  by  the  side 
of  the  sacred  lake,  and  the  fountain  which  breathed  out 
fire,  in  the  darkness  of  the  ancient  oak  wood,  beneath  the 
mountain  of  the  hundred  springs.  And  he  led  him  to  the 
holy  oak,  where  the  black  dove  settled  in  old  times,  and 
was  changed  into  the  priestess  of  Zeus,  and  gave  oracles 
to  all  nations  round.  And  he  bade  him  cut  down  a  bough 
and  sacrifice  to  Hera  and  to  Zeus  ;  and  they  took  the 
bough  and  came  to  Iolcus,  and  nailed  it  to  the  beak-head 
of  the  ship. 

And  at  last  the  ship  was  finished,  and  they  tried  to 
launch  her  down  the  beach  ;  but  she  was  too  heavy  for 
them  to  move  her,  and  her  keel  sank  deep  in  the  sand. 
Then  all  the  heroes  looked  at  each  other  blushing ;  but 
Jason  spoke,  and  said,  "  Let  us  ask  the  magic  bough  ; 
perhaps  it  can  help  us  in  our  need." 

Then  a  voice  came  from  the  bough,  and  Jason  heard  the 
words  it  said,  and  bade  Orpheus  play  upon  the  harp,  while 
the  heroes  waited  round,  holding  the  pine-trunk  rollers,  to 
help  her  toward  the  sea. 

Then  Orpheus  took  his  harp,  and  began  his  magic 
song :  "  How  sweet  it  is  to  ride  upon  the  surges,  and  to 
leap  from  wave  to  wave,  while  the  wind  sings  cheerful  in 
the  cordage,  and  the  oars  flash  fast  among  the  foam ! 
How  sweet  it  is  to  roam  across  the  ocean,  and  see  new 
towns  and  wondrous  lands,  and  to  come  home  laden  with 
treasure,  and  to  win  undying  fame  !  "  ' 

And  the  good  ship  Argo  heard  him,  and  longed  to  be 
away  and  out  at  sea;  till  she  stirred  in  every  timber,  and 

1  The  seat  of  the  most  ancient  of  the  oracles  in  Greece.  The  will  of  Zeus 
was  supposed  to  be  revealed  in  the  sounds  produced  by  the  wind  as  it  rustled 
through  the  trees. 


;o  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

heaved  from  stem  to  stern,  and  leapt  up  from  the  sand 
upon  the  rollers,  and  plunged  onward  like  a  gallant  horse ; 
and  the  heroes  fed  her  path  with  pine-trunks,  till  she 
rushed  into  the  whispering  sea. 

Then  they  stored  her  well  with  food  and  water,  and 
pulled  the  ladder  up  on  board,  and  settled  themselves  each 
man  to  his  oar,  and  kept  time  to  Orpheus's  harp  ;  and  away 
across  the  bay  they  rowed  southward,  while  the  people 
lined  the  cliffs ;  and  the  women  wept  while  the  men 
shouted,  at  the  starting  of  that  gallant  crew. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  7 1 


PART    IV. 

HOW    THE    ARGONAUTS    SAILED    TO    COLCHIS. 

And  what  happened  next,  my  children,  whether  it  be 
true  or  not,  stands  written  in  ancient  songs,  which  you 
shall  read  for  yourselves  some  day.  And  grand  old  songs 
they  are,  written  in  grand  old  rolling  verse  ;  and  they  call 
them  the  Songs  of  Orpheus,  or  the  Orphics,  to  this  day. 
And  they  tell  how  the  heroes  came  to  Aphetoe,  across  the 
bay,  and  waited  for  the  southwest  wind,  and  chose  them- 
selves a  captain  from  their  crew  :  and  how  all  called  for 
Heracles,  because  he  was  the  strongest  and  most  huge  ; 
but  Heracles  refused,  and  called  for  Jason,  because  he  was 
the  wisest  of  them  all.  So  Jason  was  chosen  captain  : 
and  Orpheus  heaped  a  pile  of  wood,  and  slew  a  bull,  and 
offered  it  to  Hera,  and  called  all  the  heroes  to  stand 
round,  each  man's  head  crowned  with  olive,  and  to  strike 
their  swords  into  the  bull.  Then  he  filled  a  golden  goblet 
with  the  bull's  blood,  and  with  wheaten  flour,  and  honey, 
and  wine,  and  the  bitter  salt  sea-water,  and  bade  the 
heroes  taste.  So  each  tasted  the  goblet,  and  passed  it 
round,  and  vowed  an  awful  vow  :  and  they  vowed  before 
the  sun,  and  the  night,  and  the  blue-haired  sea  who  shakes 
the  land,  to  stand  by  Jason  faithfully,  in  the  adventure  of 
the  golden  fleece  ;  and  whosoever  shrank  back,  or  dis- 
obeyed, or  turned  traitor  to  his  vow,  then  justice  should 
witness  against  him,  and  the  Erinyes1  who  track  guilty  men. 

1  The  Erinyes  (also  called  the  Furies)  were  three  female  divinities  who 
personified  the  pangs  of  remorse  or  the  stings  of  a  guilty  conscience. 


72  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

Then  Jason  lighted  the  pile,  and  burnt  the  carcase  of 
the  bull ;  and  they  went  to  their  ship  and  sailed  eastward, 
like  men  who  have  a  work  to  do ;  and  the  place  from 
which  they  went  was  called  Aphetae,  the  sailing-place, 
from  that  day  forth.  Three  thousand  years  and  more 
they  sailed  away,  into  the  unknown  Eastern  seas  ;  and 
great  nations  have  come  and  gone  since  then,  and  many  a 
storm  has  swept  the  earth;  and  many  a  mighty  armament, 
to  which  Argo  would  be  but  one  small  boat,  English  and 
French,  Turkish  and  Russian,  have  sailed  those  waters 
since;  yet  the  fame  of  that  small  Argo  lives  forever,  and 
her  name  is  become  a  proverb  among  men. 

So  they  sailed  past  the  Isle  of  Sciathos,  with  the  Cape 
of  Sepias  on  their  left,  and  turned  to  the  northward  toward 
Pelion,  up  the  long  Magnesian  shore.  On  their  right 
hand  was  the  open  sea,  and  on  their  left  old  Pelion  rose, 
while  the  clouds  crawled  round  his  dark  pine-forests,  and 
his  caps  of  summer  snow.  And  their  hearts  yearned  for 
the  dear  old  mountain,  as  they  -thought  of  the  pleasant 
days  gone  by,  and  of  the  sports  of  their  boyhood,  and  their 
hunting,  and  their  schooling  in  the  cave  beneath  the  cliff. 
And  at  last  Peleus  spoke  —  "Let  us  land  here,  friends, 
and  climb  the  dear  old  hill  once  more.  We  are  ^oino:  on 
a  fearful  journey :  who  knows  if  we  shall  see  Pelion  again? 
Let  us  go  up  to  Cheiron  our  master,  and  ask  his  blessing 
ere  we  start.  And  I  have  a  boy,  too,  with  him,  whom  he 
trains  as  he  trained  me  once,  the  son  whom  Thetis  brought 
me,  the  silver-footed  lady  of  the  sea,  whom  I  caught  in  the 
cave,  and  tamed  her,  though  she  changed  her  shape  seven 
times.  For  she  changed,  as  I  held  her,  into  water,  and  to 
vapour,  and  to  burning  flame,  and  to  a  rock,  and  to  a 
black-maned  lion,  and  to  a  tall  and  stately  tree.  But  I 
held  her  and  held  her  ever,  till  she  took  her  own  shape 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  73 

again,  and  led  her  to  my  father's  house,  and  won  her  for 
my  bride.  And  all  the  rulers  of  Olympus  came  to  our 
wedding,  and  the  heavens  and  the  earth  rejoiced  together, 
when  an  Immortal  wedded  mortal  man.  And  now  let  me 
see  my  son  ;  for  it  is  not  often  I  shall  see  him  upon  earth  : 
famous  he  will  be,  but  short-lived,  and  die  in  the  flower 
of  youth." 

So  Tiphys,  the  helmsman,  steered  them  to  the  shore 
under  the  crags  of  Peiion ;  and  they  went  up  through  the 
dark  pine-forests  toward  the  Centaur's  cave. 

And  they  came  into  the  misty  hall,  beneath  the  snow- 
crowned  crag ;  and  saw  the  great  Centaur  lying  with  his 
huge  limbs  spread  upon  the  rock ;  and  beside  him  stood 
Achilles,  the  child  whom  no  steel  could  wound,  and  played 
upon  his  harp  right  sweetly,  while  Cheiron  watched  and 
smiled. 

Then  Cheiron  leapt  up  and  welcomed  them,  and  kissed 
them  every  one,  and  set  a  feast  before  them,  of  swine's 
flesh,  and  venison,  and  good  wine  ;  and  young  Achilles 
served  them,  and  carried  the  golden  goblet  round.  And 
after  supper  all  the  heroes  clapped  their  hands,  and  called 
on  Orpheus  to  sing;  but  he  refused,  and  said,  "How  can  I, 
who  am  the  younger,  sing  before  our  ancient  host  ?  "  So 
they  called  on  Cheiron  to  sing,  and  Achilles  brought  him 
his  harp ;  and  he  began  a  wondrous  song ;  a  famous  story 
of  old  time,  of  the  fight  between  Centaurs  and  the  Lapi- 
thse,  which  you  may  still  see  carved  in  stone.1  He  sang 
how  his  brothers  came  to  ruin  by  their  folly,  when  they 
were  mad  with  wine ;  and  how  they  and  the  heroes  fought, 
with  fists,  and  teeth,  and  the  goblets  from  which  they 
drank ;  and  how  they  tore  up  the  pine  trees  in  their  fury, 
and  hurled  great  crags  of  stone,  while  the  mountains  thtin- 

1  In  the  Elgin  Marbles. 


74  .THE  ARGONAUTS. 

dered  with  the  battle,  and  the  land  was  wasted  far  and 
wide;  till  the  Lapithas  drove  them  from  their  home  in  the 
rich  Thessalian  plains  to  the  lonely  glens  of  Pindus,  leav- 
ing Cheiron  all  alone.  And  the  heroes  praised  his  song 
right  heartily  ;  for  some  of  them  had  helped  in  that  great 
fight. 

Then  Orpheus  took  the  lyre,  and  sang  of  Chaos,  and 
the  making  of  the  wondrous  World,  and  how  all  things 
sprang  from  Love,  who  could  not  live  alone  in  the  Abyss. 
And  as  he  sang,  his  voice  rose  from  the  cave,  above  the 
crags,  and  through  the  tree-tops,  and  the  glens  of  oak  and 
pine.  And  the  trees  bowed  their  heads  when  they  heard 
it,  and  the  gray  rocks  cracked  and  rang,  and  the  forest 
beasts  crept  near  to  listen,  and  the  birds  forsook  their 
nests  and  hovered  round.  And  old  Cheiron  clapt  his 
hands  together,  and  beat  his  hoofs  upon  the  ground,  for 
wonder  at  that  magic  song. 

Then  Peleus  kissed  his  boy,  and  wept  over  him,  and 
they  went  down  to  the  ship ;  and  Cheiron  came  down 
with  them,  weeping,  and  kissed  them  one  by  one,  and 
blest  them,  and  promised  to  them  great  renown.  And 
the  heroes  wept  when  they  left  him,  till  their  great  hearts 
could  weep  no  more  ;  for  he  was  kind  and  just  and  pious, 
and  wiser  than  all  beasts  and  men.  Then  he  went  up  to 
a  cliff,  and  prayed  for  them,  that  they  might  come  home 
safe  and  well ;  while  the  heroes  rowed  away,  and  watched 
him  standing  on  his  cliff  above  the  sea,  with  his  great 
hands  raised  toward  heaven,  and  his  white  locks  waving  in 
the  wind  ;  and  they  strained  their  eyes  to  watch  him  to  the 
last,  for  they  felt  that  they  should  look  on  him  no  more. 

So  they  rowed  on  over  the  long  swell  of  the  sea,  past 
Olympus,  the  seat  of  the  Immortals,  and  past  the  wooded 
bays  of  Athos,  and  Samothrace,  the  sacred  isle  ;  and  they 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  75 

came  past  Lemnos  to  the  Hellespont,  and  through  the 
narrow  strait  of  Abydos,  and  so  on  into  the  Propontis, 
which  we  call  Marmora  now.  And  there  they  met  with 
Cyzicus,  ruling  in  Asia  over  the  Dolions,  who,  the  songs 
say,  was  the  son  of  /Eneas,  of  whom  you  will  hear  many 
a  tale  some  day.  For  Homer  tells  us  how  he  fought  at 
Troy ;  and  Virgil  how  he  sailed  away  and  founded  Rome  ; 
and»men  believed  until  late  years  that  from  him  sprang 
our  old  British  kings.  Now  Cyzicus,  the  songs  say, 
welcomed  the  heroes  ;  for  his  father  had  been  one  of 
Cheiron's  scholars  ;  so  he  welcomed  them,  and  feasted 
them,  and  stored  their  ship  with  corn  and  wine,  and  cloaks 
and  rugs,  the  songs  say,  and  shirts,  of  which  no  doubt 
they  stood  in  need. 

But  at  night,  while  they  lay  sleeping,  came  down  on 
them  terrible  men,  who  lived  with  the  bears  in  the  moun- 
tains, like  Titans  or  giants  in  shape  ;  for  each  of  them 
had  six  arms,  and  they  fought  with  young  firs  and  pines. 
But  Heracles  killed  them  all  before  morn  with  his  deadly 
poisoned  arrows  ;  but  among  them,  in  the  darkness,  he 
slew  Cyzicus  the  kindly  prince. 

Then  they  got  to  their  ship  and  to  their  oars,  and 
Tiphys  bade  them  cast  off  the  hawsers,  and  go  to  sea. 
But  as  he  spoke  a  whirlwind  came,  and  spun  the  Argo 
round,  and  twisted  the  hawsers  together,  so  that  no  man 
could  loose  them.  Then  Tiphys  dropped  the  rudder  from 
his  hand,  and  cried,  "This  comes  from  the  gods  above." 
But  Jasoii  went  forward,  and  asked  counsel  of  the  magic 
bough. 

Then  the  magic  bough  spoke  and  answered,  —  "  This  is 
because  you  have  slain  Cyzicus  your  friend.  You  must 
appease  his  soul,  or  you  will  never  leave  this  shore." 

Jason  went    back    sadly,   and  told  the  heroes   what  he 


76  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

had  heard.  And  they  leapt  on  shore,  and  searched  till 
dawn  ;  and  at  dawn  they  found  the  body,  all  rolled  in  dust 
and  blood,  among  the  corpses  of  those  monstrous  beasts. 
And  they  wept  over  their  kind  host,  and  laid  him  on  a 
fair  bed,  and  heaped  a  huge  mound  over  him,  and  offered 
black  sheep  at  his  tomb,  and  Orpheus  sang  a  magic  song 
to  him,  that  his  spirit  might  have  rest.  And  then  they 
held  games  at  the  tomb,  after  the  custom  of  those  times, 
and  Jason  gave  prizes  to  each  winner.  To  Ancaeus  he 
gave  a  golden  cup,  for  he  wrestled  best  of  all  ;  and  to 
Heracles  a  silver  one,  for  he  was  the  strongest  of  all ;  and 
to  Castor,  who  rode  best,  a  golden  crest ;  and  Polydeuces 
the  boxer  had  a  rich  carpet,  and  to  Orpheus,  for  his  song, 
a  sandal  with  golden  wings.  But  Jason  himself  was  the 
best  of  all  the  archers,  and  the  Minyae  crowned  him  with 
an  olive  crown  ;  and  so,  the  songs  say,  the  soul  of  good 
Cyzicus  was  appeased,  and  the  heroes  went  on  their  way 
in  peace. 

But  when  Cyzicus's  wife  heard  that  he  was  dead,  she 
died  likewise  of  grief ;  and  her  tears  became  a  fountain  of 
clear  water,  which  flows  the  whole  year  round. 

Then  they  rowed  away,  the  songs  say,  along  the  Mysian 
shore,  and  past  the  mouth  of  Rhyndacus,  till  they  found  a 
pleasant  bay,  sheltered  by  the  long  ridges  of  Arganthus, 
and  by  high  walls  of  basalt  rock.  And  there  they  ran  the 
ship  ashore  upon  the  yellow  sand,  and  funded  the  sail,  and 
took  the  mast  clown,  and  lashed  it  in  its  crutch.1  And 
next  they  let  down  the  ladder,  and  went  ashore  to  sport 
and  rest. 

And  there  Heracles  went  away  into  the  woods,  bow  in 
hand,  to   hunt  wild   deer ;    and    Hylas   the   fair  boy  slipt 

1  An  upright  support  rising  from  the  stern,  having  a  head  like  that  of  a 
crutch,  in  which  the  mast  rested  when  let  down. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  77 

away  after  him,  and  followed  him  by  stealth,  until  he  lost 
himself  among  the  glens,  and  sat  down  weary  to  rest 
himself  by  the  side  of  a  lake  ;  and  there  the  water  nymphs 
came  up  to  look  at  him,  and  loved  him,  and  carried  him 
down  under  the  lake  to  be  their  playfellow,  forever  happy 
and  young.  And  Heracles  sought  for  him  in  vain,  shout- 
ing his  name  till  all  the  mountains  rang ;  but  Hylas  never 
heard  him,  far  down  under  the  sparkling  lake.  So  while 
Heracles  wandered  searching  for  him,  a  fair  breeze  sprang 
up,  and  Heracles  was  nowhere  to  be  found ;  and  the  Argo 
sailed  away,  and  Heracles  was  left  behind,  and  never  saw 
the  noble  Phasian  1  stream. 

Then  the  Minyas  came  to  a  doleful  land,  where  Amycus 
the  giant  ruled,  and  cared  nothing  for  the  laws  of  Zeus, 
but  challenged  all  strangers  to  box  with  him,  and  those 
whom  he  conquered  he  slew.  But  Poly  deuces  the  boxer 
struck  him  a  harder  blow  than  he  ever  felt  before,  and 
slew  him  ;  and  the  Minyae  went  on  up  the  Bosphorus,  till 
they  came  to  the  city  of  Phineus,  the  fierce  Bithynian 
king ;  for  Zetes  and  Calais  bade  Jason  land  there,  because 
they  had  a  work  to  do. 

And  they  went  up  from  the  shore  toward  the  city, 
through  forests  white  with  snow ;  and  Phineus  came  out 
to  meet  them  with  a  lean  and  woeful  face,  and  said, 
"  Welcome,  gallant  heroes,  to  the  land  of  bitter  blasts,  a 
land  of  cold  and  misery  ;  yet  I  will  feast  you  as  best  I 
can."  And  he  led  them  in,  and  set  meat  before  them; 
but  before  they  could  put  their  hands  to  their  mouths, 
down  came  two  fearful  monsters,  the  like  of  whom  man 
never  saw  ;  for  they  had  the  faces  and  the  hair  of  fair 
maidens,  but   the  wings  and   claws   of  hawks  ;    and  they 

1  The  Phasis  was  the  river  in  Colchis  which  the  Argonauts  reached  at  the 
end  of  their  voyage. 


?S  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

snatched  the  meat  from  off  the  table,  and  flew  shrieking 
out  above  the  roofs. 

Then  Phineus  beat  his  breast,  and  cried,  "  These  are  the 
Harpies,  whose  names  are  the  Whirlwind  and  the  Swift, 
the  daughters  of  Wonder  and  of  the  Amber-nymph,  and 
they  rob  us  night  and  day.  They  carried  off  the  daugh- 
ters of  Pandareos,  whom  all  the  gods  had  blest  ;  for 
Aphrodite  fed  them  on  Olympus  with  honey  and  milk 
and  wine  ;  and  Hera  gave  them  beauty  and  wisdom,  and 
Athene  skill  in  all  the  arts  ;  but  when  they  came  to  their 
wedding,  the  Harpies  snatched  them  both  away,  and  gave 
them  to  be  slaves  to  the  Erinyes,  and  live  in  horror  all 
their  days.  And  now  they  haunt  me,  and  my  people,  and 
the  Bosphorus,  with  fearful  storms  ;  and  sweep  away  our 
food  from  off  our  tables,  so  that  we  starve  in  spite  of  all 
our  wealth." 

Then  up  rose  Zetes  and  Calais,  the  winged  sons  of  the 
North-wind,  and  said,  "  Do  you  not  know  us,  Phineus,  and 
these  wings  which  grow  upon  our  backs  ?  "  And  Phineus 
hid  his  face  in  terror ;  but  he  answered  not  a  word. 

"  Because  you  have  been  a  traitor,  Phineus,  the  Harpies 
haunt  you  night  and  day.  Where  is  Cleopatra  our  sister, 
your  wife,  whom  you  keep  in  prison  ?  and  where  are  her 
two  children,  whom  you  blinded  in  your  rage,  at  the 
bidding  of  an  evil  woman,  and  cast  them  out  upon  the 
rocks  ?  Swear  to  us  that  you  will  right  our  sister,  and 
cast  out  that  wicked  woman  ;  and  then  we  will  free  you 
from  your  plague,  and  drive  the  whirlwind  maidens  from 
the  south  :  but  if  not,  we  will  put  out  your  eyes,  as  you 
put  out  the  eyes  of  your  own  sons." 

Then  Phineus  swore  an  oath  to  them,  and  drove  out 
the  wicked  woman ;  and  Jason  took  those  two  poor  chil- 
dren, and  cured  their  eyes  with  magic  herbs. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  79 

But  Zetes  and  Calais  rose  up  sadly,  and  said,  "Farewell 
now,  heroes  all  ;  farewell,  our  dear  companions,  with 
whom  we  played  on  Pelion  in  old  times  ;  for  a  fate  is  laid 
upon  us,  and  our  day  is  come  at  last,  in  which  we  may 
hunt  the  whirlwinds,  over  land  and  sea  forever ;  and  if  we 
catch  them,  they  die,  and  if  not,  we  die  ourselves." 

At  that  all  the  heroes  wept  :  but  the  two  young  men 
sprang  up,  and  aloft  into  the  air  after  the  Harpies,  and 
the  battle  of  the  winds  began. 

The  heroes  trembled  in  silence  as  they  heard  the  shriek- 
ing of  the  blasts  ;  while  the  palace  rocked  and  all  the  city, 
and  great  stones  were  torn  from  the  crags,  and  the  forest- 
pines  were  hurled  eastward,  north  and  south  and  east  and 
west,  and  the  Bosphorus  boiled  white  with  foam,  and  the 
clouds  were  dashed  against  the  cliffs. 

But  at  last  the  battle  ended,  and  the  Harpies  fled 
screaming  toward  the  south,  and  the  sons  of  the  North- 
wind  rushed  after  them,  and  brought  clear  sunshine  where 
they  passed.  For  many  a  league  they  followed  them,  over 
all  the  isles  of  the  Cyclades,  and  away  to  the  southwest 
across  Hellas,  till  they  came  to  the  Ionian  Sea,  and  there 
they  fell  upon  the  Echinades,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ache- 
lous ;  and  those  isles  were  called  the  Whirlwind  Isles  for 
many  a  hundred  years.  But  what  became  of  Zetes  and 
Calais  I  know  not ;  for  the  heroes  never  saw  them  again  : 
and  some  say  that  Heracles  met  them,  and  quarrelled 
with  them,  and  slew  them  with  his  arrows  ;  and  some  say 
that  they  fell  down  from  weariness  and  the  heat  of  the 
summer  sun,  and  that  the  Sun-god  buried  them  among 
the  Cyclades,  in  the  pleasant  Isle  of  Tenos  ;  and  for  many 
hundred  years  their  grave  was  shown  there,  and  over  it 
a  pillar,  which  turned  to  every  wind.  But  those  dark 
storms  and  whirlwinds  haunt  the  Bosphorus  until  this 
day. 


So  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

But  the  Argonauts  went  eastward,  and  out  into  the 
open  sea,  which  we  now  call  the  Black  Sea,  but  it  was 
called  the  Euxine  then.  No  Hellen  had  ever  crossed  it, 
and  all  feared  that  dreadful  sea,  and  its  rocks,  and  shoals, 
and  fogs,  and  bitter  freezing  storms  ;  and  they  told 
strange  stories  of  it,  some  false  and  some  half  true,  how 
it  stretched  northward  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  the 
sluggish  Putrid  Sea,  and  the  everlasting  night,  and  the 
regions  of  the  dead.  So  the  heroes  trembled,  for  all  their 
courage,  as  they  came  into  that  wild  Black  Sea,  and  saw  it 
stretching  out  before  them,  without  a  shore,  as  far  as  eye 
could  see. 

And  first  Orpheus  spoke,  and  warned  them,  — "  We 
shall  come  now  to  the  wandering  blue  rocks  ;  my  mother 
warned  me  of  them,  Calliope,  the  immortal  muse." 

And  soon  they  saw  the  blue  rocks  shining,  like  spires 
and  castles  of  gray  glass,  while  an  ice-cold  wind  blew  from 
them,  and  chilled  all  the  heroes'  hearts.  And  as  they 
neared,  they  could  see  them  heaving,  as  they  rolled  upon 
the  long  sea-waves,  crashing  and  grinding  together,  till 
the  roar  went  up  to  heaven.  The  sea  sprang  up  in  spouts 
between  them,  and  swept  round  them  in  white  sheets  of 
foam  ;  but  their  heads  swung  nodding  high  in  air,  while 
the  wind  whistled  shrill  among  the  crags. 

The  heroes'  hearts  sank  within  them,  and  they  lay  upon 
their  oars  in  fear ;  but  Orpheus  called  to  Tiphys  the  helms- 
man, —  "  Between  them  we  must  pass ;  so  look  ahead  for  an 
opening,  and  be  brave,  for  Hera  is  with  us."  But  Tiphys 
the  cunning  helmsman  stood  silent,  clenching  his  teeth, 
till  he  saw  a  heron  come  flying  mast-high  toward  the  rocks, 
and  hover  awhile  before  them,  as  if  looking  for  a  passage 
through.  Then  he  cried,  —  "  Hera  has  sent  us  a  pilot  ;  let 
us  follow  the  cunning  bird." 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  8l 

Then  the  heron  flapped  to  and  fro  a  moment,  till  he 
saw  a  hidden  gap,  and  into  it  he  rushed,  like  an  arrow, 
while  the  heroes  watched  what  would  befall. 

And  the  blue  rocks  clashed  together  as  the  bird  fled 
swiftly  through  ;  but  they  struck  but  a  feather  from  his 
tail,  and  then  rebounded  apart  at  the  shock. 

Then  Tiphys  cheered  the  heroes,  and  they  shouted; 
and  the  oars  bent  like  withes  beneath  their  strokes,  as 
they  rushed  between  those  toppling  ice-crags,  and  the 
cold  blue  lips  of  death.  And  ere  the  rocks  could  meet 
again,  they  had  passed  them,  and  were  safe  out  in  the 
open  sea. 

And  after  that  they  sailed  on  wearily  along  the  Asian 
coast,  by  the  Black1  Cape  and  Thynias,  where  the  hot 
stream  of  Thymbris 2  falls  into  the  sea,  and  Sangarius, 
whose  waters  float  on  the  Euxine,  till  they  came  to  Wolf3 
the  river,  and  to  Wolf  the  kindly  king.  And  there  died 
two  brave  heroes,  Idmon  and  Tiphys  the  wise  helmsman  ; 
one  died  of  an  evil  sickness,  and  one  a  wild  boar  slew.  So 
the  heroes  heaped  a  mound  above  them,  and  set  upon  it 
an  oar  on  high,  and  left  them  there  to  sleep  together,  on 
the  far-off  Lycian  4  shore.  But  Idas  killed  the  boar,  and 
avenged  Tiphys  ;  and  Ancaeus  took  the  rudder  and  was 
helmsman,  and  steered  them  on  toward  the  east. 

And  they  went  on  past  Sinope,  and  many  a  mighty 
river's  mouth,  and  past  many  a  barbarous  tribe,  and  the 
cities  of  the  Amazons,  the  warlike  women  of  the  East, 
till  all  night  they  heard  the  clank  of  anvils  and  the  roar 
of   furnace-blasts,  and   the   forge-fires    shone    like    sparks 

1  A  translation  of  the  Greek  name  Melcena. 
-  A  branch  of  the  Sangarius. 

3  A  translation  of  the  Greek  name  Lye  us. 

4  By  "  Lycian  shore  "  is  meant  the  shore  of  the  river  Lycus,  which  has  just 
been  calle4  Wolf. 


82  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

through  the  darkness,  in  the  mountain  glens  aloft .;  for 
they  were  come  to  the  shores  of  the  Chalybes,  the  smiths 
who  never  tire,  but  serve  Ares :  the  cruel  War-god,  forging 
weapons  day  and  night. 

And  at  day-dawn  they  looked  eastward,  and,  midway 
between  the  sea  and  the  sky,  they  saw  white  snow-peaks 
hanging,  glittering  sharp  and  bright  above  the  clouds. 
And  they  knew  that  they  were  come  to  Caucasus,  at  the 
end  of  all  the  earth  ;  Caucasus,  the  highest  of  all  moun- 
tains, the  father  of  the  rivers  of  the  East.  On  his  peak 
lies  chained  the  Titan,2  while  a  vulture  tears  his  heart ; 
and  at  his  feet  are  piled  dark  forests  round  the  magic 
Colchian  land. 

And  they  rowed  three  days  to  the  eastward,  while 
Caucasus  rose  higher  hour  by  hour,  till  they  saw  the 
dark  stream  of  Phasis  rushing  headlong  to  the  sea,  and 
shining  above  the  tree-tops,  the  golden  roofs  of  king 
/Eetes,  the  child  of  the  sun. 

Then  out  spoke  Ancaeus  the  helmsman,  "We  are  come 
to  our  goal  at  last ;  for  there  are  the  roofs  of  y£etes,  and  the 
woods  where  all  poisons  grow ;  but  who  can  tell  us  where 
among  them  is  hid  the  golden  fleece  ?  Many  a  toil  must 
we  bear  ere  we  find  it,  and  bring  it  home  to  Greece." 

But  Jason  cheered  the  heroes,  for  his  heart  was  high 
and  bold  ;  and  he  said,  "  I  will  go  alone  up  to  vEetes, 
though  he  be  the  child  of  the  sun,  and  win  him  with  soft 
words.  Better  so  than  to  go  all  together,  and  to  come  to 
blows  at  once."  But  the  Minyse  would  not  stay  behind, 
so  they  rowed  boldly  up  the  stream. 

1  See  the  "  Descriptive  Table  of  Greek  Divinities,"  p.  v. 

2  The  Titan  Prometheus,  whose  name  signifies  Forethought,  had  formed  man 
out  of  clay,  and  instructed  him  in  various  arts.  Later  he  had  attempted  to 
deceive  Zeus  in  relation  to  the  sacrifices  due  to  the  gods  from  men,  and  had 
also  stolen  fire  from  heaven  for  the  benefit  of  men.  He  was  punished  by 
Zeus  as  described  in  the  text,  but  was  finally  delivered  by  Heracles. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  $$ 

And  a  dream  came  to  /Eetes,  and  rilled  his  heart  with 
fear.  He  thought  he  saw  a  shining  star,  which  fell  into 
his  daughter's  lap ;  and  that  Medea,  his  daughter,  took  it 
gladly,  and  carried  it  to  the  river-side  and  cast  it  in,  and 
there  the  whirling  river  bore  it  down,  and  out  into  the 
Euxine  Sea. 

Then  he  leapt  up  in  fear,  and  bade  his  servants  bring 
his  chariot,  that  he  might  go  down  to  the  river-side  and 
appease  the  nymphs,  and  the  heroes  whose  spirits  haunt 
the  bank.  So  he  went  down  in  his  golden  chariot,  and 
his  daughters  by  his  side,  Medea  the  fair  witch-maiden, 
and  Chalciope,  who  had  been  Phrixus's  wife,  and  behind 
him  a  crowd  of  servants  and  soldiers,  for  he  was  a  rich 
and  mighty  prince. 

And  as  he  drove  down  by  the  reedy  river,  he  saw 
Argo  sliding  up  beneath  the  bank,  and  many  a  hero  in 
her,  like  immortals  for  beauty  and  for  strength,  as  their 
weapons  glittered  around  them  in  the  level  morning  sun- 
light, through  the  white  mist  of  the  stream.  But  Jason 
was  the  noblest  of  all ;  for  Hera,  who  loved  him,  gave 
him  beauty  and  tallness  and  terrible  manhood. 

And  when  they  came  near  together,  and  looked  into 
each  other's  eyes,  the  heroes  were  awed  before  yEetes 
as  he  shone  in  his  chariot,  like  his  father  the  glorious 
Sun ;  for  his  robes  were  of  rich  gold  tissue,  and  the 
rays  of  his  diadem  flashed  fire  ;  and  in  his  hand  he 
bore  a  jewelled  sceptre,  which  glittered  like  the  stars  ; 
and  sternly  he  looked  at  them  under  his  brows,  and 
sternly  he  spoke  and  loud  :  — 

"Who  are  you,  and  what  want  you  here,  that  you  come 
to  the  shore  of  Cytaea  ? x  Do  you  take  no  account  of  my 
rule,  nor  of  my  people  the  Colchians  who  serve  me,  who 

1  A  town  on  the  Phasis,  said  to  be  the  birthplace  of  Medea,. 


84  THE  ARGONAUTS, 

never  tired  yet  in  the  battle,  and  know  well  how  to  face 
an  invader  ? " 

And  the  heroes  sat  silent  awhile  before  the  face  of  that 
ancient  king.  But  Hera,  the  awful  goddess,  put  courage 
into  Jason's  heart,  and  he  rose  and  shouted  loudly  in 
answer,  "  We  are  no  pirates  nor  lawless  men.  We 
come  not  to  plunder  and  to  ravage,  or  carry  away  slaves 
from  your  land  ;  but  my  uncle,  the  son  of  Poseidon,  Pelias 
the  Minyan  king,  he  it  is  who  has  set  me  on  a  quest  to 
bring  home  the  golden  fleece.  And  these  too,  my  bold 
comrades,  they  are  no  nameless  men ;  for  some  are  the 
sons  of  Immortals,  and  some  of  heroes  far  renowned. 
And  we  too  never  tire  in  battle,  and  know  well  how  to 
give  blows  and  to  take  ;  yet  we  wish  to  be  guests  at  your 
table ;  it  will  be  better  so  for  both." 

Then  ^Eetes's  rage  rushed  up  like  a  whirlwind,  and  his 
eyes  flashed  fire  as  he  heard ;  but  he  crushed  his  anger 
down  in  his  breast,  and  spoke  mildly  a  cunning  speech,  — 

"  If  you  will  fight  for  the  fleece  with  my  Colchians,  then 
many  a  man  must  die.  But  do  you  indeed  expect  to  win 
from  me  the  fleece  in  fight  ?  So  few  you  are,  that  if  you 
be  worsted,  I  can  load  your  ship  with  your  corpses.  But 
if  you  will  be  ruled  by  me,  you  will  find  it  better  far  to 
choose  the  best  man  among  you,  and  let  him  fulfil  the 
labors  which  I  demand.  Then  I  will  give  him  the  golden 
fleece  for  a  prize  and  a  glory  to  you  all." 

So  saying,  he  turned  his  horses  and  drove  back  in 
silence  to  the  town.  And  the  Minyae  sat  silent  with 
sorrow,  and  longed  for  Heracles  and  his  strength  ;  for 
there  was  no  facing  the  thousands  of  the  Colchians,  and 
the  fearful  chance  of  war. 

But  Chalciope,  Phrixus's  widow,  went  weeping  to  the 
town ;  for  she  remembered  her  Minyan  husband,  and  all 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  85 

the  pleasures  of  her  youth,  while  she  watched  the  fair 
faces  of  his  kinsmen,  and  their  long  locks  of  golden  hair. 
And  she  whispered  to  Medea,  her  sister,  —  "  Why  should 
all  these  brave  men  die  ?  why  does  not  my  father  give 
them  up  the  fleece,  that  my  husband's  spirit  may  have 
rest?" 

And  Medea's  heart  pitied  the  heroes,  and  Jason  most 
of  all ;  and  she  answered,  "  Our  father  is  stern  and  ter- 
rible, and  who  can  win  the  golden  fleece  ? "  But  Chal- 
ciope  said,  "  These  men  are  not  like  our  men ;  there  is 
nothing  which  they  cannot  dare  nor  do." 

And  Medea  thought  of  Jason  and  his  brave  counte- 
nance, and  said,  "  If  there  was  one  among  them  who 
knew  no  fear,  I  could  show  him  how  to  win  the  fleece." 

So  in  the  dusk  of  evening  they  went  down  to  the  river- 
side, Chalciope  and  Medea  the  witch-maiden,  and  Argus, 
Phrixus's  son.  And  Argus,  the  boy,  crept  forward  among 
the  beds  of  reeds,  till  he  came  where  the  heroes  were 
sleeping,  on  the  thwarts  of  the  ship,  beneath  the  bank, 
while  Jason  kept  ward  on  shore,  and  leant  upon  his  lance 
full  of  thought.     And  the  boy  came  to  Jason,  and  said,  — 

"  I  am  the  son  of  Phrixus,  your  cousin ;  and  Chalciope, 
my  mother,  waits  for  you,  to  talk  about  the  golden  fleece." 

Then  Jason  went  boldly  with  the  boy,  and  found  the  two 
princesses  standing  ;  and  when  Chalciope  saw  him  she 
wept,  and  took  his  hands,  and  cried, — 

"  O  cousin  of  my  beloved,  go  home  before  you  die  !  " 

"  It  would  be  base  to  go  home  now,  fair  princess,  and  to 
have  sailed  all  these  seas  in  vain."  Then  both  the  prin- 
cesses besought  him,  but  Jason  said,  "  It  is  too  late." 

"But  you  know  not,"  said  Medea,  "what  he  must  do 
who  would  win  the  fleece.  He  must  tame  the  two  brazen- 
footed  bulls,  who  breathe  devouring  flame,  and  with  them 


86  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

he  must  plough  ere  nightfall  four  acres  in  the  field  of 
Ares ;  and  he  must  sow  them  with  serpents'  teeth,  of 
which  each  tooth  springs  up  into  an  armed  man.  Then 
he  must  fight  with  all  those  warriors  ;  and  little  will  it 
profit  him  to  conquer  them,  for  the  fleece  is  guarded  by  a 
serpent  more  huge  than  any  mountain  pine,  and  over  his 
body  you  must  step  if  you  would  reach  the  golden  fleece." 

Then  Jason  laughed  bitterly.  "  Unjustly  is  that  fleece 
kept  here,  and  by  an  unjust  and  lawless  king  ;  and  unjustly 
shall  I  die  in  my  youth,  for  I  will  attempt  it  ere  another 
sun  be  set." 

Then  Medea  trembled,  and  said,  "  No  mortal  man  can 
reach  that  fleece  unless  I  guide  him  through.  For  round 
it,  beyond  the  river,  is  a  wall  full  nine  ells  high,  with  lofty 
towers  and  buttresses,  and  mighty  gates  of  threefold  brass  ; 
and  over  the  gates  the  wall  is  arched,  with  golden  battle- 
ments above.  And  over  the  gateway  sits  Brimo,  the  wild 
witch-huntress  of  the  wood,  brandishing  a  pine-torch  in 
her  hands,  while  her  mad  hounds  howl  around.  No  man 
dare  meet  her  or  look  on  her,  but  only  I  her  priestess,  and 
she  watches  far  and  wide  lest  any  stranger  should  come 
near." 

"  No  wall  so  high  but  it  may  be  climbed  at  last,  and  no 
wood  so  thick  but  it  may  be  crawled  through  ;  no  serpent 
so  wary  but  he  may  be  charmed,  or  witch-queen  so  fierce 
but  spells  may  soothe  her ;  and  I  may  yet  win  the  golden 
fleece  if  a  wise  maiden  help  bold  men." 

And  he  looked  at  Medea  cunningly,  and  held  her  with 
his  glittering  eye,  till  she  blushed  and  trembled,  and 
said,  — 

"Who  can  face  the  fire  of  the  bulls'  breath,  and  fight 
ten  thousand  armed  men  ?  " 

"He  whom   you  help,"  said  Jason,  flattering  her,  "for 


Greek  Heroes.  —  Page  86. 


THE  ARGONAUTS,  $7 

your  fame  is  spread  over  all  the  earth.  Are  you  not  the 
queen  of  all  enchantresses,  wiser  even  than  your  sister 
Circe  in  her  fairy  island  in  the  West  ?  " 

"  Would  that  I  were  with  my  sister  Circe  in  her  fairy 
island  in  the  West,  far  away  from  sore  temptation  and 
thoughts  which  tear  the  heart !  But  if  it  must  be  so  —  for 
why  should  you  die  ?  —  I  have  an  ointment  here  ;  I  made 
it  from  the  magic  ice-flower  which  sprang  from  Prome- 
theus's  wound,  above  the  clouds  on  Caucasus,  in  the  dreary 
fields  of  snow.  Anoint  yourself  with  that,  and  you  shall 
have  in  you  seven  men's  strength  ;  and  anoint  your  shield 
with  it,  and  neither  fire  nor  sword  can  harm  you.  But 
what  you  begin  you  must  end  before  sunset,  for  its  virtue 
lasts  only  one  day.  And  anoint  your  helmet  with  it 
before  you  sow  the  serpents'  teeth  ;  and  when  the  sons  of 
earth  spring  up,  cast  your  helmet  among  the  ranks,  and 
the  deadly  crop  of  the  War-god's  field  will  mow  itself  and 
perish." 

Then  Jason  fell  on  his  knees  before  her,  and  thanked 
her  and  kissed  her  hands  ;  and  she  gave  him  the  vase  of 
ointment,  and  fled  trembling  through  the  reeds.  And 
Jason  told  his  comrades  what  had  happened,  and  showed 
them  the  box  of  ointment ;  and  all  rejoiced  but  Idas,  and 
he  grew  mad  with  envy. 

And  at  sunrise  Jason  went  and  bathed,  and  anointed 
himself  from  head  to  foot,  and  his  shield,  and  his  helmet, 
and  his  weapons,  and  bade  his  comrades  try  the  spell. 
So  they  tried  to  bend  his  lance,  but  it  stood  like  an  iron 
bar ;  and  Idas  in  spite  hewed  at  it  with  his  sword,  but  the 
blade  flew  to  splinters  in  his  face.  Then  they  hurled  their 
lances  at  his  shield,  but  the  spear-points  turned  like  lead  ; 
and  Caeneus  tried  to  throw  him,  but  he  never  stirred  a 
foot \    and   Polydeuces  struck   him   with   his    fist    a    blow 


88  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

which  would  have  killed  an  ox  ;  but  Jason  only  smiled,  and 
the  heroes  danced  about  him  with  delight ;  and  he  leapt, 
ancl  ran,  and  shouted  in  the  joy  of  that  enormous  strength 
till  the  sun  rose,  and  it  was  time  to  go  and  to  claim 
yEetes's  promise. 

So  he  sent  up  Telamon  and  vEthalides  to  tell  ^Eetes 
that  he  was  ready  for  the  fight ;  and  they  went  up  among 
the  marble  walls,  and  beneath  the  roofs  of  gold,  and  stood 
in  ^Eetes's  hall,  while  he  grew  pale  with  rage. 

"  Fulfil  your  promise  to  us,  child  of  the  blazing  sun. 
Give  us  the  serpents'  teeth,  and  let  loose  the  fiery  bulls  ; 
for  we  have  found  a  champion  among  us  who  can  win  the 
golden  fleece." 

Ancl  ^Eetes  bit  his  lips,  for  he  fancied  that  they  had 
fled  away  by  night ;  but  lie  could  not  go  back  from  his 
promise,  so  he  gave  them  the  serpents'  teeth. 

Then  he  called  for  his  chariot  and  his  horses,  and  sent 
heralds  through  all  the  town  ;  and  all  the  people  went  out 
with  him  to  the  dreadful  War-god's  field. 

And  there  ^Eetes  sat  upon  his  throne,  with  his  warriors 
on  each  hand,  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands,  clothed 
from  head  to  foot  in  steel-chain  mail.  And  the  people 
and  the  women  crowded  to  every  window,  and  bank,  and 
wall ;  while  the  Minyse  stood  together,  a  mere  handful  in 
the  midst  of  that  great  host. 

And  Chalciope  was  there,  and  Argus,  trembling,  and 
Medea,  wrapped  closely  in  her  vail ;  but  ^Eetes  did  not 
know  that  she  was  muttering  cunning  spells  between  her 
lips. 

Then  Jason  cried,  "  Fulfil  your  promise,  and  let  your 
fiery  bulls  come  forth." 

Then  ^Eetes  bade  open  the  gates,  and  the  magic  bulls 
leapt  out.     Their  brazen  hoofs  rang  upon  the  ground,  and 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  89 

their  nostrils  sent  out  sheets  of  flame  as  they  rushed  with 
lowered  heads  upon  Jason  ;  but  he  never  flinched  a  step. 
The  flame  of  their  breath  swept  round  him,  but  it  singed 
not  a  hair  of  his  head  ;  and  the  bulls  stopped  short  and 
trembled  when  Medea  began  her  spell. 

Then  Jason  sprang  upon  the  nearest,  and  seized  him  by 
the  horn  ;  and  up  and  down  they  wrestled  till  the  bull  fell 
grovelling  on  his  knees ;  for  the  heart  of  the  brute  died 
within  him,  and  his  mighty  limbs  were  loosed  beneath  the 
steadfast  eye  of  that  dark  witch-maiden,  and  the  magic 
whisper  of  her  lips. 

So  both  the  bulls  were  tamed  and  yoked,  and  Jason 
bound  them  to  the  plough,  and  goaded  them  onward  with 
his  lance  till  he  had  ploughed  the  sacred  field. 

And  all  the  Minyae  shouted  ;  but  ^Eetes  bit  his  lips  with 
rage  ;  for  the  half  of  Jason's  work  was  over,  and  the  sun 
was  yet  high  in  heaven. 

Then  he  took  the  serpents'  teeth  and  sowed  them,  and 
waited  what  would  befall.  But  Medea  looked  at  him  and 
at  his  helmet,  lest  he  should  forget  the  lesson  she  had 
taught. 

And  every  furrow  heaved  and  bubbled,  and  out  of  every 
clod  rose  a  man.  Out  of  the  earth  they  rose  by  thou- 
sands, each  clad  from  head  to  foot  in  steel,  and  drew  their 
swords  and  rushed  on  Jason,  where  he  stood  in  the  midst 
alone. 

Then  the  Minyre  grew  pale  with  fear  for  him;  but 
yEetes  laughed  a  bitter  laugh.  "  See !  if  I  had  not 
warriors  enough  already  round  me,  I  could  call  them  out 
of  the  bosom  of  the  earth." 

But  Jason  snatched  off  his  helmet,  and  hurled  it  into 
the  thickest  of  the  throng.  And  blind  madness  came 
upon  them,  suspicion,  hate,  and  fear;  and  one  cried  to  his 


QO  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

fellow,  "  Thou  didst  strike  me  !  "  and  another,  "  Thou  art 
Jason  ;  thou  shalt  die  !  "  So  fury  seized  those  earth-born 
phantoms,  and  each  turned  his  hand  against  the  rest ;  and 
they  fought  and  were  never  weary  till  they  all  lay  dead 
upon  the  ground.  Then  the  magic  furrows  opened,  and 
the  kind  earth  took  them  home  into  her  breast ;  and  the 
grass  grew  up  all  green  again  above  them,  and  Jason's 
work  was  done. 

Then  the  Minyae  rose  and  shouted  till  Prometheus 
heard  them  from  his  crag.  And  Jason  cried,  "  Lead  me 
to  the  fleece  this  moment,  before  the  sun  goes  down." 

But  ^Eetes  thought,  "  He  has  conquered  the  bulls,  and 
sown  and  reaped  the  deadly  crop.  Who  is  this  who  is 
proof  against  all  magic  ?  He  may  kill  the  serpent  yet." 
So  he  delayed,  and  sat  taking  counsel  with  his  princes  till 
the  sun  went  down,  and  all  was  dark.  Then  he  bade  a 
herald  cry,  "  Every  man  to  his  home  for  to-night.  To- 
morrow we  will  meet  these  heroes,  and  speak  about  the 
golden  fleece." 

Then  he  turned  and  looked  at  Medea :  "  This  is  your 
doing,  false  witch-maid  !  You  have  helped  these  yellow- 
haired  strangers,  and  brought  shame  upon  your  father  and 
yourself  !" 

Medea  shrank  and  trembled,  and  her  face  grew  pale 
with  fear  ;  and  ^Eetes  knew  that  she  was  guilty,  and 
whispered,  "If  they  win  the  fleece,  you  die!" 

But  the  Minyae  marched  toward  their  ship,  growling  like 
lions  cheated  of  their  prey;  for  they  saw  that  ^Eetes 
meant  to  mock  them,  and  to  cheat  them  out  of  all  their 
toil.  And  Oileus  said,  "  Let  us  go  to  the  grove  together, 
and  take  the  fleece  by  force." 

And  Idas  the  rash  cried,  "  Let  us  draw  lots  who  shall 
go  in  first  ;  for  while  the  dragon  is  devouring  one,  the  rest 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  91 

can  slay  him,  and  carry  off  the  fleece  in  peace."  But 
Jason  held  them  back,  though  he  praised  them  ;  for  he 
hoped  for  Medea's  help. 

And  after  awhile  Medea  came  trembling,  and  wept  a 
long  while  before  she  spoke.     And  at  last,  — 

"  My  end  is  come,  and  I  must  die  ;  for  my  father  has 
found  out  that  I  have  helped  you.  You  he  would  kill  if 
he  dared,  but  he  will  not  harm  you  because  you  have  been 
his  guests.  Go  then,  go,  and  remember  poor  Medea 
when  you  are  far  away  across  the  sea."  But  all  the  heroes 
cried,  — 

"If  you  die,  we  die  with  you;  for  without  you  we 
cannot  win  the  fleece,  and  home  we  will  not  go  without 
it,  but  fall  here  fighting  to  the  last  man." 

"  You  need  not  die,"  said  Jason.  $  "  Flee  home  with  us 
across  the  sea.  Show  us  first  how  to  win  the  fleece,  for 
you  can  do  it.  Why  else  are  you  the  priestess  of  the 
grove  ?  Show  us  but  how  to  win  the  fleece,  and  come  with 
us,  and  you  shall  be  my  queen,  and  rule  over  the  rich 
princes  of  the  Minyae,  in  Iolcus  by  the  sea." 

And  all  the  heroes  pressed  round,  and  vowed  to  her  that 
she  should  be  their  queen. 

Medea  wept,  and  shuddered,  and  hid  her  face  in  her 
hands ;  for  her  heart  yearned  after  her  sisters  and  her 
playfellows,  and  the  home  where  she  was  brought  up  as  a 
child.  But  at  last  she  looked  up  at  Jason,  and  spoke 
between  her  sobs,  — 

"  Must  I  leave  my  home  and  my  people  to  wander  with 
strangers  across  the  sea  ?  The  lot  is  cast,  and  I  must 
endure  it.  I  will  show  you  how  to  win  the  golden  fleece. 
Bring  up  your  ship  to  the  woodside,  and  moor  her  there 
against  the  bank ;  and  let  Jason  come  up  at  midnight, 
and  one  brave  comrade  with  him,  and  meet  me  beneath 
the  wall." 


92  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

Then  all  the  heroes  cried  together,  —  "I  will  go ! " 
"and  I !  "  "and  I  !  "  And  Idas  the  rash  grew  mad  with 
envy  ;  for  he  longed  to  be  foremost  in  all  things.  But 
Medea  calmed  them,  and  said,  "  Orpheus  shall  go  with 
Jason,  and  bring  his  magic  harp  ;  for  I  hear  of  him  that 
lie  is  the  king  of  all  minstrels,  and  can  charm  all  things  on 
earth." 

And  Orpheus  laughed  for  joy,  and  clapped  his  hands, 
because  the  choice  had  fallen  on  him  ;  for  in  those  days 
poets  and  singers  were  as  bold  warriors  as  the  best. 

So  at  midnight  they  went  up  the  bank,  and  found 
Medea ;  and  beside  came  Absyrtus  her  young  brother, 
leading  a  yearling  lamb. 

Then  Medea  brought  them  to  a  thicket,  beside  the 
War-god's  gate ;  and  there  she  bade  Jason  dig  a  ditch, 
and  kill  the  lamb  and  leave  it  there,  and  strew  on  it  magic 
herbs  and  honey  from  the  honeycomb. 

Then  sprang  up  through  the  earth,  with  the  red  fire 
flashing  before  her,  Brimo  the  wild  witch-huntress,  while 
her  mad  hounds  howled  around.  She  had  one  head  like  a 
horse's,  and  another  like  a  ravening  hound's,  and  another 
like  a  hissing  snake's,  and  a  sword  in  either  hand.  And 
she  leapt  into  the  ditch  with  her  hounds,  and  they  ate  and 
drank  their  fill,  while  Jason  and  Orpheus  trembled,  and 
Medea  hid  her  eyes.  And  at  last  the  witch-queen  van- 
ished, and  fled  with  her  hounds  into  the  woods  ;  and  the 
bars  of  the  gates  fell  down,  and  the  brazen  doors  flew 
wide,  and  Medea  and  the  heroes  ran  forward  and  hurried 
through  the  poison  wood,  among  the  dark  stems  of  the 
mighty  beeches,  guided  by  the  gleam  of  the  golden  fleece, 
until  they  saw  it  hanging  on  one  vast  tree  in  the  midst. 
And  Jason  would  have  sprung  to  seize  it,  but  Medea  held 
him  back,  and  pointed  shuddering  to  the  tree-foot,  where 


t-  /. 


y^W^ 


/'    ^^JI    lv   (]V^^   1 


ME 


Greek  Heroes.  —  Page  93. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  93 

the  mighty  serpent  lay,  coiled  in  and  out  among  the  roots, 
with  a  body  like  a  mountain-pine.  His  coils  stretched 
many  a  fathom,  spangled  with  bronze  and  gold ;  and  half 
of  him  they  could  see,  but  no  more  ;  for  the  rest  lay  in  the 
darkness  far  beyond. 

And  when  he  saw  them  coming,  he  lifted  up  his  head, 
and  watched  them  with  his  small  bright  eyes,  and  flashed 
his  forked  tongue,  and  roared  like  the  fire  among  the 
woodlands,  till  the  forest  tossed  and  groaned.  For  his  cry 
shook  the  trees  from  leaf  to  root,  and  swept  over  the  long 
reaches  of  the  river,  and  over  ^Eetes's  hall,  and  woke  the 
sleepers  in  the  city,  till  mothers  clasped  their  children  in 
their  fear. 

But  Medea  called  gently  to  him ;  and  he  stretched  out 
his  long  spotted  neck,  and  licked  her  hand,  and  looked  up 
in  her  face,  as  if  to  ask  for  food.  Then  she  made  a  sign 
to  Orpheus,  and  he  began  his  magic  song. 

And  as  he  sung,  the  forest  grew  calm  again,  and  the 
leaves  on  every  tree  hung  still ;  and  the  serpent's  head 
sank  down,  and  his  brazen  coils  grew  limp,  and  his  glit- 
tering eyes  closed  lazily,  till  he  breathed  as  gently  as  a 
child,  while  Orpheus  called  to  pleasant  Slumber,  who  gives 
peace  to  men,  and  beasts,  and  waves. 

Then  Jason  leapt  forward  warily,  and  stept  across  that 
mighty  snake,  and  tore  the  fleece  from  off  the  tree-trunk  ; 
and  the  four  rushed  down  the  garden,  to  the  bank  where 
the  Argo  lay. 

There  was  a  silence  for  a  moment,  while  Jason  held  the 
golden  fleece  on  high.  Then  he  cried,  —  "  Go  now,  good 
Argo,  swift  and  steady,  if  ever  you  would  see  Pelion 
more." 

And  she  went,  as  the  heroes  drove  her,  grim  and  silent 
all,  with  muffled  oars,  till  the  pine-wood  bent  like  willow 


94  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

in  their  hands,  and  stout  Argo  groaned  beneath  their 
strokes. 

On  and  on,  beneath  the  dewy  darkness,  they  fled  swiftly 
down  the  swirling  stream  ;  underneath  black  walls,  and 
temples,  and  the  castles  of  the  princes  of  the  East ;  past 
sluice-mouths,  and  fragrant  gardens,  and  groves  of  all 
strange  fruits  ;  past  marshes  where  fat  kine  lay  sleeping, 
and  long  beds  of  whispering  reeds  ;  till  they  heard  the 
merry  music  of  the  surge  upon  the  bar,  as  it  tumbled  in 
the  moonlight  all  alone. 

Into  the  surge  they  rushed,  and  Argo  leapt  the  breakers 
like  a  horse  ;  for  she  knew  the  time  was  come  to  show  her 
mettle,  and  win  honor  for  the  heroes  and  herself. 

Into  the  surge  they  rushed,  and  Argo  leapt  the  break- 
ers like  a  horse,  till  the  heroes  stopped  all  panting,  each 
man  upon  his  oar,  as  she  slid  into  the  still,  broad  sea. 

Then  Orpheus  took  his  harp  and  sang  ar  paean,1  till  the 
heroes'  hearts  rose  high  again ;  and  they  rowed  on  stoutly 
and  steadfastly,  away  into  the  darkness  of  the  West. 

1  A  chant  of  thanksgiving  for  deliverance  from  danger. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  95 


PART   V. 

HOW    THE     ARGONAUTS     WERE     DRIVEN     INTO    THE 
UNKNOWN    SEA. 

So  they  fled  away  in  haste  to  the  westward  :  but  /Eetes 
manned  his  fleet  and  followed  them.  And  Lynceus  the 
quick-eyed  saw  him  coming,  while  he  was  still  many  a 
mile  away,  and  cried,  "  I  see  a  hundred  ships,  like  a  flock 
of  white  swans,  far  in  the  east."  And  at  that  they  rowed 
hard,  like  heroes  ;  but  the  ships  came  nearer  every  hour. 

Then  Medea,  the  dark  witch-maiden,  laid  a  cruel  and  a 
cunning  plot ;  for  she  killed  Absyrtus  her  young  brother, 
and  cast  him  into  the  sea,  and  said,  "  Ere  my  father  can 
take  up  his  corpse  and  bury  it,  he  must  wait  long,  and  be 
left  far  behind." 

And  all  the  heroes  shuddered,  and  looked  one  at  the 
other  for  shame  ;  yet  they  did  not  punish  that  dark  witch- 
woman,  because  she  had  won  for  them  the  golden  fleece. 

And  when  ^Eetes  came  to  the  place,  he  saw  the  float- 
ing corpse  ;  and  he  stopped  a  long  while,  and  bewailed  his 
son,  and  took  him  up,  and  went  home.  But  he  sent  on 
his  sailors  toward  the  westward,  and  bound  them  by  a 
mighty  curse  :  "  Bring  back  to  me  that  dark  witch-woman, 
that  she  may  die  a  dreadful  death.  But  if  you  return, 
without  her,  you  shall  die  by  the  same  death  yourselves." 

So  the  Argonauts  escaped  for  that  time  :  but  Father 
Zeus  saw  that  foul  crime  ;  and  out  of  the  heavens  he 
sent  a  storm,  and  swept  the  ship  far  from  her  course. 
Day  after  day  the  storm  drove  her,  amid  foam  and  blind- 


96  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

ing  mist,  till  they  knew  no  longer  where  they  were,  for 
the  sun  was  blotted  from  the  skies.  And  at  last  the  ship 
struck  on  a  shoal,  amid  low  isles  of  mud  and  sand,  and 
the  waves  rolled  over  her  and  through  her,  and  the  heroes 
lost  all  hope  of  life. 

Then  Jason  cried  to  Hera :  "  Fair  queen,  who  hast 
befriended  us  till  now,  why  hast  thou  left  us  in  our 
misery,  to  die  here  among  unknown  seas  ?  It  is  hard 
to  lose  the  honor  which  we  have  won  with  such  toil  and 
danger,  and  hard  never  to  see  Hellas  again,  and  the 
pleasant  bay  of  Pagasae." 

Then  out  and  spoke  the  magic  bough  which  stood  upon 
the  Argo's  beak  :  "  Because  Father  Zeus  is  angry,  all  this 
has  fallen  on  you  ;  for  a  cruel  crime  has  been  done  on 
board,  and  the  sacred  ship  is  foul  with  blood." 

At  that  some  of  the  heroes  cried  :  "  Medea  is  the  mur- 
deress. Let  the  witch-woman  bear  her  sin,  and  die!" 
And  they  seized  Medea,  to  hurl  her  into  the  sea  and 
atone  for  the  young  boy's  death  :  but  the  magic  bough 
spoke  again  :  "  Let  her  live  till  her  crimes  are  full.  Ven- 
geance waits  for  her,  slow  and  sure  ;  but  she  must  live, 
for  you  need  her  still.  She  must  show  you  the  way  to 
her  sister  Circe,  who  lives  among  the  islands  of  the  West. 
To  her  you  must  sail,  a  weary  way,  and  she  shall  cleanse 
you  from  your  guilt." 

Then  all  the  heroes  wept  aloud  when  they  heard  the 
sentence  of  the  oak ;  for  they  knew  that  a  dark  journey 
lay  before  them,  and  years  of  bitter  toil.  And  some 
upbraided  the  dark  witch-woman,  and  some  said,  "  Nay, 
we  are  her  debtors  still ;  without  her  we  should  never 
have  won  the  fleece."  But  most  of  them  bit  their  lips 
in  silence,  for  they  feared  the  witch's  spells. 

And  now  the  sea  grew  calmer,  and  the  sun  shone  out 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  97 

once  more,  and  the  heroes  thrust  the  ship  off  the  sand- 
bank, and  rowed  forward  on  their  weary  course,  under 
the  guiding  of  the  dark  witch-maiden,  into  the  wastes  of 
the  unknown  sea. 

Whither  they  went  I  cannot  tell,  nor  how  they  came  to 
Circe's  isle.  Some  say  that  they  went  to  the  westward, 
and  up  the  Ister  stream,  and  so  came  into  the  Adriatic, 
dragging  their  ship  over  the  snowy  Alps.  And  others 
say  that  they  went  southward,  into  the  Red  Indian  Sea, 
and  past  the  sunny  lands  where  spices  grow,  round  ./Ethi- 
opia toward  the  West ;  and  that  at  last  they  came  to 
Libya,  and  dragged  their  ship  across  the  burning  sands, 
and  over  the  hills  into  the  Syrtes,  where  the  flats  and 
quicksands  spread  for  many  a  mile,  between  rich  Cyrene 
and  the  Lotus-eaters'  shore.1  But  all  these  are  but 
dreams  and  fables,  and  dim  hints  of  unknown  lands. 

But  all  say  that  they  came  to  a  place  where  they  had 
to  drag  their  ship  across  the  land  nine  days  with  ropes 
and  rollers,  till  they  came  into  an  unknown  sea.  And 
the  best  of  all  the  old  songs  tells  us,  how  they  went  away 
toward  the  North,  till  they  came  to  the  slope  of  Caucasus, 
where  it  sinks  into  the  sea ;  and  to  the  narrow  Cimmerian 
Bosphorus,2  where  the  Titan  swam  across  upon  the  bull ; 
and  thence  into  the  lazy  waters  of  the  still  Maeotid  lake.3 
And  thence  they  went  northward  ever,  up  the  Tanais, 
which  we  call  Don,  past  the  Geloni  and  Sauromatae,  and 
many    a    wandering    shepherd-tribe,    and    the    one-eyed 

1  The  modern  Tunis  and  Tripoli.  The  plant  which  is  supposed  to  be  the 
lotus  of  the  ancients,  bears  a  sweetish,  saffron-colored  fruit,  about  as  large  as 
a  wild  plum.  According  to  Homer,  the  taste  of  the  lotus  was  so  delicious 
that  those  who  ate  it  lost  all  desire  to  return  to  their  native  land. 

2  Between  the  Crimea  and  Circassia. 

3  The  modern  Sea  of  Azof. 


98  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

Arimaspi,  of  whom  old  Greek  poets  tell,  who  steal  the 
gold  from  the  Griffins,1  in  the  cold  Rhipaean  2  hills. 

And  they  passed  the  Scythian  archers,  and  the  Tauri 
who  eat  men,  and  the  wandering  Hyperborei,  who  feed 
their  flocks  beneath  the  pole-star,  until  they  came  into 
the  northern  ocean,  the  dull  dead  Cronian  Sea.3  And 
there  Argo  would  move  on  no  longer ;  and  each  man 
clasped  his  elbow,  and  leaned  his  head  upon  his  hand, 
heart-broken  with  toil  and  hunger,  and  gave  himself  up 
to  death.  But  brave  Ancaeus  the  helmsman  cheered  up 
their  hearts  once  more,  and  bade  them  leap  on  land,  and 
haul  the  ship  with  ropes  and  rollers  for  many  a  weary  day, 
whether  over  land,  or  mud,  or  ice,  I  know  not,  for  the 
song  is  mixed  and  broken  like  a  dream.  And  it  says 
next,  how  they  came  to  the  rich  nation  of  the  famous 
long-lived  men  ;  and  to  the  coast  of  the  Cimmerians,4 
who  never  saw  the  sun,  buried  deep  in  the  glens  of  the 
snow  mountains  ;  and  to  the  fair  land  of  Hermione,  where 
dwelt  the  most  righteous  of  all  nations ;  and  to  the  gates 
of  the  world  below,  and  to  the  dwelling-place  of  dreams. 

And  at  last  Ancaeus  shouted  —  "  Endure  a  little  while, 
brave  friends,  the  worst  is  surely  past ;  for  I  can  see  the 
pure  west  wind  ruffle  the  water,  and  hear  the  roar  of 
ocean  on  the  sands.  So  raise  up  the  mast,  and  set  the 
sail,  and  face  what  comes  like  men." 

Then  out  spoke  the  magic  bough  —  "Ah,  would  that  I 
bad  perished  long  ago,  and  been  "whelmed  by  the  dread 
blue  rocks,  beneath  the  fierce  swell  of  the  Euxine !     Bet- 

1  Monsters  having  the  head  and  wings  of  an  eagle  and  the  body  of  a  lion. 

2  The  Ural  mountains  (?). 
-The  Baltic (?). 

4  A  mythical  people,  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  Cimmerians  who  dwelt 
near  the  Cimmerian  Bosphorus. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  99 

ter  so,  than  to  wander  forever,  disgraced  by  the  guilt  of 
my  princes  ;  for  the  blood  of  Absyrtus  still  tracks  me, 
and  woe  follows  hard  upon  woe.  And  now  some  dark 
horror  will  clutch  me,  if  I  come  near  the  Isle  of  Ierne.1 
Unless  you  will  cling*  to  the  land,  and  sail  southward  and 
southward  forever,  I  shall  wander  beyond  the  Atlantic,  to 
the  ocean  which  has  no  shore." 

Then  they  blest  the  magic  bough,  and  sailed  southward 
along  the  land.  But  ere  they  could  pass  Ierne,  the  land 
of  mists  and  storms,  the  wild  wind  came  down,  dark  and 
roaring,  and  caught  the  sail,  and  strained  the  ropes.  Aijd 
away  they  drove  twelve  nights,  on  the  wide  wild  western 
sea,  through  the  foam,  and  over  the  rollers,  while  they 
saw  neither  sun  nor  stars.  And  they  cried  again,  "We 
shall  perish,  for  we  know  not  where  we  are.  We  are  lost 
in  the  dreary  damp  darkness,  and  cannot  tell  north  from 
south." 

But  Lynceus  the  long-sighted  called  gayly  from  the 
bows,  ■ —  "  Take  heart  again,  brave  sailors,  for  I  see  a  pine- 
clad  isle,  and  the  halls  of  the  kind  Earth-mother,  with  a 
crown  of  clouds  around  them." 

But  Orpheus  said,  "  Turn  from  them,  for  no  living  man 
can  land  there  :  there  is  no  harbor  on  the  coast,  but  steep- 
walled  cliffs  all  round." 

So  Ancaeus  turned  the  ship  away ;  and  for  three  days 
more  they  sailed  on,  till  they  came  to  aEaea,  Circe's  home, 
and  the  fairy  island  of  the  West.2 

And  there  Jason  bid  them  land,  and  seek  about  for  any 
sign  of  living  man.  And  as  they  went  inland,  Circe  met 
them,  coming  down  toward  the  ship  ;  and  they  trembled 
when  they  saw  her ;  for  her  hair,  and  face,  and  robes 
shone  like  flame. 

1  Ireland  (?). 

2  The  Azores  (?). 


100  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

And  she  came  and  looked  at  Medea ;  and  Medea  hid 
her  face  beneath  her  vail. 

And  Circe  cried,  "  Ah,  wretched  girl,  have  you  forgot- 
ten all  your  sins,  that  you  come  hither  to  my  island,  where 
the  flowers  bloom  all  the  year  round  ?  Where  is  your 
aged  father,  and  the  brother  whom  you  killed  ?  Little  do 
I  expect  you  to  return  in  safety  with  these  strangers  whom 
you  love.  I  will  send  you  food  and  wine  :  but  your  ship 
must  not  stay  here,  for  it  is  foul  with  sin,  and  foul  with 
sin  its  crew." 

And  the  heroes  prayed  her,  but  in  vain,  and  cried, 
"  Cleanse  us  from  our  guilt  !  "  But  she  sent  them  away, 
and  said,  "Go  on  to  Malea,  and  there  you  may  be 
cleansed,  and  return  home." 

Then  a  fair  wind  rose,  and  they  sailed  eastward,  by 
Tartessus  on  the  Iberian  shore,  till  they  came  to  the  Pil- 
lars of  Hercules,1  and  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  And 
thence  they  sailed  on  through  the  deeps  of  Sardinia,  and 
past  the  Ausonian  2  islands  and  the  capes  of  the  Tyrrhe- 
nian3 shore,  till  they  came  to  a  flowery  island,  upon  a 
still,  bright  summer's  eve.  And  as  they  neared  it,  slowly 
and  wearily,  they  heard  sweet  songs  upon  the  shore.  But 
when  Medea  heard  it,  she  started,  and  cried,  "  Beware,  all 
heroes,  for  these  are  the  rocks  of  the  Sirens.  You  must 
pass  close  by  them,  for  there  is  no  other  channel,  but 
those  who  listen  to  that  song  are  lost." 

1  Mt.  Abyla,  on  the  African  side  of  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar,  and  Mt.  Calpe, 
on  the  Spanish  side,  were  called  the  Pillars  of  Hercules  by  the  ancients,  from 
a  tradition  that  the  two  had  originally  formed  one  mountain,  which  had  been 
rent  asunder  by  Hercules. 

2  Ausonia  lay  along  the  western  shore  of  middle  and  lower  Italy;  the 
name  is  often  used  by  the  poets  for  Italy. 

3  Tyrrhenia  was  on  the  west  coast  of  Italy,  north  of  Ausonia;  the  poets 
often  used  the  name  to  designate  Italy. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  101 

Then  Orpheus  spoke,  the  king  of  all  minstrels,  —  "  Let 
them  match  their  song  against  mine.  I  have  charmed 
stones,  and  trees,  and  dragons,  how  much  more  the  hearts 
of  men  !  "  So  he  caught  up  his  lyre,  and  stood  upon  the 
poop,  and  began  his  magic  song. 

And  now  they  could  see  the  Sirens  on  Anthemusa,  the 
flowery  isle ;  three  fair  maidens  sitting  on  the  beach, 
beneath  a  red  rock  in  the  setting  sun,  among  beds  of 
crimson  poppies  and  golden  asphodel.  Slowly  they  sung 
and  sleepily,  with  silver  voices,  mild  and  clear,  which  stole 
over  the  golden  waters  and  into  the  hearts  of  all  the 
heroes  in  spite  of  Orpheus's  song. 

And  all  things  stayed  around  and  listened  ;  the  gulls 
sat  in  white  lines  along  the  rocks  ;  on  the  beach  great 
seals  lay  basking,  and  kept  time  with  lazy  heads  ;  while 
silver  shoals  of  fish  came  up  to  hearken,  and  whispered 
as  they  broke  the  shining  calm.  The  Wind  overhead 
hushed  his  whistling,  as  he  shepherded  his  clouds  toward 
the  west  ;  and  the  clouds  stood  in  mid  blue,  and  listened 
dreaming,  like  a  flock  of  golden  sheep. 

And  as  the  heroes  listened,  the  oars  fell  from  their 
hands,  and  their  heads  drooped  on  their  breasts,  and  they 
closed  their  heavy  eyes  ;  and  they  dreamed  of  bright  still 
gardens,  and  of  slumbers  under  murmuring  pines,  till  all 
their  toil  seemed  foolishness,  and  they  thought  of  their 
renown  no  more. 

Then  one  lifted  his  head  suddenly,  and  cried,  "What 
use  in  wandering  forever  ?  Let  us  stay  here  and  rest 
awhile.."  And  another,  "  Let  us  row  to  the  shore,  and 
hear  the  words  they  sing."  And  another,  "  I  care  not  for 
the  words,  but  for  the  music.  They  shall  sing  me  to 
sleep,  that  I  may  rest." 

And  Butes,  the  son  of  Pandion,  the  fairest  of  all  mor- 


102  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

tal  men,  leapt  out  and  swam  toward  the  shore,  erying, 
"  I  come,  I  come,  fair  maidens,  to  live  and  die  here,  listen- 
ing to  your  song." 

Then  Medea  clapped  her  hands  together,  and  cried, 
"  Sing  louder,  Orpheus,  sing  a  bolder  strain  ;  wake  up 
these  hapless  sluggards,  or  none  of  them  will  see  the 
land  of  Hellas  more." 

Then  Orpheus  lifted  his  harp,  and  crashed  his  cunning- 
hand  across  the  strings  ;  and  his  music  and  his  voice  rose 
like  a  trumpet  through  the  still  evening  air  ;  into  the  air 
it  rushed  like  thunder,  till  the  rocks  rang  and  the  sea  ; 
and  into  their  souls  it  rushed  like  wine,  till  all  hearts  beat 
fast  within  their  breasts. 

And  he  sung  the  song  of  Perseus,  how  the  gods  led 
him  over  land  and  sea,  and  how  he  slew  the  loathly  Gor- 
gon, and  won  himself  a  peerless  bride  ;  and  how  he  sits 
now  with  the  gods  upon  Olympus,  a  shining  star  in  the 
sky,  immortal  with  his  immortal  bride,  and  honored  by  all 
men  below. 

So  Orpheus  sang,  and  the  Sirens,  answering  each  other 
across  the  golden  sea,  till  Orpheus' s  voice  drowned  the 
Sirens',  and  the  heroes  caught  their  oars  again. 

And  they  cried,  "  We  will  be  men  like  Perseus,  and  we 
will  dare  and  suffer  to  the  last.  Sing  us  his  song  again, 
brave  Orpheus,  that  we  may  forget  the  Sirens  and  their 
spell." 

And  as  Orpheus  sang,  they  dashed  their  oars  into  the 
sea,  and  kept  time  to  his  music,  as  they  fled  fast  away  ; 
and  the  Sirens'  voices  died  behind  them,  in  the  hissing  of 
the  foam  along  their  wake. 

But  Butes  swam  to  the  shore,  and  knelt  down  before 
the  Sirens,  and  cried,  "Sing  on!  sing  on!"  But  he 
could  say  no  more  ;  for  a  charmed  sleep  came  over  him, 


Til E  ARGONAUTS.  103 

and  a  pleasant  humming  in  his  cars  ;  and  he  sank  all 
along  upon. the  pebbles,  and  forgot  all  heaven  and  earth, 
and  never  looked  at  that  sad  beach  around  him,  all  strewn 
with  the  bones  of  men. 

Then  slowly  rose  up  those  three  fair  sisters,  with  a 
cruel  smile  upon  their  lips  ;  and  slowly  they  crept  down 
towards  him,  like  leopards  who  creep  upon  their  prey  ; 
and  their  hands  were  like  the  talons  of  eagles,  as  they 
stept  across  the  bones  of  their  victims  to  enjoy  their 
cruel  feast. 

But  fairest  Aphrodite  saw  him  from  the  highest  Idalian 
peak,  and  she  pitied  his  youth  and  his  beauty,  and  leapt 
up  from  her  golden  throne  ;  and  like  a  falling  star  she 
cleft  the  sky,  and  left  a  trail  of  glittering  light,  till  she 
stooped  to  the  Isle  of  the  Sirens,  and  snatched  their  prey 
from  their  claws.  And  she  lifted  Butes  as  he  lay  sleep- 
ing, and  wrapt  him  in  a  golden  mist  ;  and  she  bore  him 
to  the  peak  of  Lilybseum  ;  and  he  slept  there  many  a 
pleasant  year. 

But  when  the  Sirens  saw  that  they  were  conquered, 
they  shrieked  .for  envy  and  rage,  and  leapt  from  the  beach 
into  the  sea,  and  were  changed  into  rocks  until  this  day. 

Then  they  came  to  the  straits  by  Lilybaeum,  and  saw 
Sicily,  the  three-cornered  island,  under  which  Enceladus 
the  giant  lies  groaning  day  and  night,  and  when  he  turns 
the  earth  quakes,  and  his  breath  bursts  out  in  roaring 
flames  from  the  highest  cone  of  ^Etna,  above  the  chest- 
nut woods.  And  there  Charybclis 1  caught  them  in  its 
fearful  coils  of  wave,  and  rolled  masr-high  about  them, 
and  spun    them    round    and    round ;    and    they  could    go 

1  The  modern  Galofaro,  a  meeting-place  of  currents  on  the  Sicilian  side  of 
the  Strait  of  Messina,  much  dreaded  by  the  ancients.  Tt  is  now  seldom  dan- 
gerous. 


1 04  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

neither  back  nor  forward,  while  the  whirlpool  sucked 
them  in. 

And  while  they  struggled  they  saw  near  them,  on  the 
other  side  the  strait,  a  rock  stand  in  the  water,  with  a 
peak  wrapt  round  in  clouds  ;  a  rock1  which  no  man  could 
climb,  though  he  had  twenty  hands  and  feet,  for  the  stone 
was  smooth  and  slippery,  as  if  polished  by  man's  hand  ; 
and  half  way  up  a  misty  cave  looked  out  toward  the 
west. 

And  when  Orpheus  saw  it,  he  groaned,  and  struck  his 
hands  together.  And  "Little  will  it  help  to  us,"  he  cried, 
"to  escape  the  jaws  of  the  whirlpool;  for  in  that  cave 
lives  Scylla,  the  sea-hag  with  a  young  whelp's  voice  ;  my 
mother  warned  me  of  her  ere  we  sailed  away  from  Hel- 
las ;  she  has  six  heads,  and  six  long  necks,  and  hides  in 
that  dark  cleft.  And  from  her  cave  she  fishes  for  all 
things  which  pass  by,  for  sharks,  and  seals,  and  dolphins, 
and  all  the  herds  of  Amphitrite.2  And  never  ship's 
crew  boasted  that  they  came  safe  by  her  rock  ;  for  she 
bends  her  long  necks  down  to  them,  and  every  mouth 
takes  up  a  man.  And  who  will  help  us  now  ?  For  Hera 
and  Zeus  hate  us,  and  our  ship  is  foul  with  guilt  ;  so  we 
must  die,  whatever  befalls." 

Then  out  of  the  depths  came  Thetis,  Peleus's  silver- 
footed  bride,  for  love  of  her  gallant  husband,  and  all  her 
nymphs  around  her  ;  and  they  played  like  snow-white  dol- 
phins, diving  on  from  wave  to  wave,  before  the  ship,  and 
in  her  wake,  and  beside  her,  as  dolphins  play.     And  they 

1  The  modern  Sciglio,  a  rocky  headland  on  the  Italian  side  of  the  Strait  of 
Messina.  Some  of  the  more  formidable  rocks  have  been  removed  in  modern 
times  by  blasting. 

2  Wife  of  Poseidon  and  goddess  of  the  sea,  especially  of  the  Mediterranean 

sea, 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  105 

caught  the  ship,  and  guided  her,  and  passed  her  on  from 
hand  to  hand,  and  tossed  her  through  the  billows  as 
maidens  toss  the  ball.  And  when  Scylla  stooped  to  seize 
her,  they  struck  back  her  ravening  heads,  and  foul  Scylla 
whined,  as  a  whelp  whines,  at  the  touch  of  their  gentle 
hands.  But  she  shrank  into  her  cave  affrighted,  for  all 
bad  things  shrink  from  good  ;  and  Argo  leapt  safe  past 
her,  while  a  fair  breeze  rose  behind.  Then  Thetis  and 
her  nymphs  sank  clown  to  their  coral  caves  beneath  the 
sea,  and  their  gardens  of  green  and  purple,  where  live 
flowers  bloom  all  the  year  round  ;  while  the  heroes  went 
on  rejoicing,  yet  dreading  what  might  come  next. 

After  that  they  rowed  on  steadily  for  many  a  weary 
day,  till  they  saw  a  long,  high  island,  and  beyond  it  a 
mountain  land.  And  they  searched  till  they  found  a  har- 
bor, and  there  rowed  boldly  in.  But  after  awhile  they 
stopped,  and  wondered  ;  for  there  stood  a  great  city  on 
the  shore,  and  temples  and  walls  and  gardens,  and  castles 
high  in  air  upon  the  cliffs.  And  on  either  side  they  saw 
a  harbor  with  a  narrow  mouth,  but  wide  within  ;  and  black 
ships  without  number,  high  and  dry  upon  the  shore. 

Then  Ancaeus,  the  wise  helmsman,  spoke,  "  What  new 
wonder  is  this  ?  I  know  all  isles,  and  harbors,  and  the 
windings  of  all  seas  ;  and  this  should  be  Corcyra,  where  a 
few  wild  goatherds  dwell.  But  whence  come  these  new 
harbors,  and  vast  works  of  polished  stone  ? " 

But  Jason  said,  "  They  can  be  no  savage  people.  We 
will  go  in  and  take  our  chance." 

So  they  rowed  into  the  harbor,  among  a  thousand  black- 
beaked  ships,  each  larger  far  than  Argo,  toward  a  quay  of 
polished  stone.  And  they  wondered  at  that  mighty  city, 
with  its  roofs  of  burnished  brass,  and  long  and  lofty  walls 
of  marble,  with   strong  palisades  above.     And  the  quays 


106  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

were  full  of  people,  merchants,  and  mariners,  and  slaves, 
going  to  and  fro  with  merchandise  among  the  crowd  of 
ships.  And  the  heroes'  hearts  were  humbled,  and  they 
looked  at  each  other  and  said,  "We  thought  ourselves  a 
gallant  crew  when  we  sailed  from  Iolcus  by  the  sea  :  but 
how  small  we  look  before  this  city,  like  an  ant  before  a 
hive  of  bees." 

Then  the  sailors  hailed  them  roughly  from  the  quay, 
"What  men  are  you?  —  we  want  no  strangers  here,  nor 
pirates.     We  keep  our  business  to  ourselves." 

But  Jason  answered  gently,  with  many  a  flattering- 
word,  and  praised  their  city  and  their  harbor,  and  their 
fleet  of  gallant  ships.  "  Surely  you  are  the  children  of 
Poseidon,  and  the  masters  of  the  sea ;  and  we  are  but 
poor  wandering  mariners,  worn  out  with  thirst  and  toil. 
Give  us  but  food  and  water,  and  we  will  go  on  our  voyage 
in  peace." 

Then  the  sailors  laughed,  and  answered,  "  Stranger,  you 
are  no  fool  ;  you  talk  like  an  honest  man,  and  you  shall 
find  us  honest,  too.  We  are  the  children  of  Poseidon, 
and  the  masters  of  the  sea  ;  but  come  ashore  to  us,  and 
you  shall  have  the  best  that  we  can  give." 

So  they  limped  ashore,  all  stiff  and  weary,  with  long, 
ragged  beards  and  sunburnt  cheeks,  and  garments  torn 
and  weather-stained,  and  weapons  rusted  with  the  spray, 
while  the  sailors  laughed  at  them  (for  they  were  rough- 
tongued,  though  their  hearts  were  frank  and  kind).  And 
one  said,  "  These  fellows  are  but  raw  sailors  ;  they  look  as 
if  they  had  been  sea-sick  all  the  day."  And  another, 
"  Their  legs  have  grown  crooked  with  much  rowing,  till 
they  waddle  in  their  walk  like  ducks." 

At  that  Idas  the  rash  would  have  struck  them  ;  but 
Jason  held  him  back,  till  one  of  the  merchant  kings  spoke 
to  them,  a  tall  and  stately  man. 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  IOJ 

"  Do  not  be  angry,  strangers  ;  the  sailor  boys  must  have 
their  jest.  But  we  will  treat  you  justly  and  kindly,  for 
strangers  and  poor  men  come  from  God  ;  and  you  seem  no 
common  sailors  by  your  strength,  and  height,  and  weap- 
ons. Come  up  with  me  to  the  palace  of  Alcinous,  the 
rich,  sea-going  king,  and  we  will  feast  you  well  and 
heartily  ;  and  after  that  you  shall  tell  us  your  name." 

But  Medea  hung  back,  and  trembled,  and  whispered  in 
Jason's  ear,  "  We  are  betrayed,  and  are  going  to  our  ruin  ; 
for  I  see  my  countrymen  among  the  crowd  ;  dark-eyed 
Colchi  in  steel  mail-shirts,  such  as  they  wear  in  my 
father's  land." 

"  It  is  too  late  to  turn,"  said  Jason.  And  he  spoke  to 
the  merchant  king,  — "  What  country  is  this,  good  sir ; 
and  what  is  this  new-built  town?" 

"  This  is  the  land  of  the  Phaeaces,  beloved  by  all  the 
Immortals ;  for  they  come  hither  and  feast  like  friends 
with  us,  and  sit  by  our  side  in  the  hall.  Hither  we  came 
from  Liburnia,1  to  escape  the  unrighteous  Cyclopes2;  for 
they  robbed  us,  peaceful  merchants,  of  our  hard-earned 
wares  and  wealth.  So  Nausithous,  the  son  of  Poseidon, 
brought  us  hither,  and  died  in  peace  ;  and  now  his  son 
Alcinous  rules  us,  and  Arete  the  wisest  of  queens." 

So  they  went  up  across  the  square,  and  wondered  still 
more  as  they  went ;  for  along  the  quays  lay  in  order  great 
cables,  and  yards,  and  masts,  before  the  fair  temple  of 
Poseidon,  the  blue-haired  king  of  the  seas.  And  round 
the  square  worked  the  shipwrights,  as  many  in  number  as 
ants,  twining  ropes,  and  hewing  timber,  and  smoothing 
long  yards  and  oars.     And  the  Minyae  went  on  in  silence 

1  Liburnia,  on  the  eastern  coast  of  the  Adriatic,  was  the  home  of  a  race  of 
hardy  mariners  who  controlled  the  neighboring  waters  and  islands. 

2  A  race  of  one-eyed,  man-eating  giants. 


108  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

through  clean  white  marble  streets,  till  they  came  to  the 
hall  of  Alcinous,  and  they  wondered  then  still  more.  -For 
the  lofty  palace  shone  aloft  in  the  sun,  with  walls  of  plated 
brass,  from  the  threshold  to  the  innermost  chamber,  and 
the  doors  were  of  silver  and  gold.  And  on  each  side  of 
the  doorway  sat  living  dogs  of  gold,  who  never  grew  old 
or  died,  so  well  Hephaestus  had  made  them  in  his  forges 
in  smoking  Lemnos,  and  given  them  to  Alcinous  to  guard 
his  gates  by  night.  And  within,  against  the  walls,  stood 
thrones  on  either  side,  down  the  whole  length  of  the  hall, 
strewn  with  rich,  glossy  shawls  ;  and  on  them  the  mer- 
chant kings  of  those  crafty,  sea-roving  Phaeaces  sat  eating 
and  drinking  in  pride,  and  feasting  there  all  the  year 
round.  And  boys  of  molten  gold  stood  each  on  a  polished 
altar,  and  held  torches  in  their  hands,  to  give  light  all 
night  to  the  guests.  And  round  the  house  sat  fifty  maid- 
servants, some  grinding  the  meal  in  the  mill,  some  turn- 
ing the  spindle,  some  weaving  at  the  loom,  while  their 
hands  twinkled  as  they  passed  the  shuttle,  like  quivering 
aspen  leaves. 

And  outside,  before  the  palace,  a  great  garden  was 
walled  round,  filled  full  of  stately  fruit-trees,  with  olives 
and  sweet  figs,  and  pomegranates,  pears,  and  apples,  which 
bore  the  whole  year  round.  For  the  rich,  southwest  wind 
fed  them,  till  pear  grew  ripe  on  pear,  fig  on  fig,  and  grape 
on  grape,  all  the  winter  and  the  spring.  And  at  the  fur- 
ther end  gay  flower-beds  bloomed  through  all  seasons  of 
the  year;  and  two  fair  fountains  rose,  and  ran,  one 
through  the  garden-grounds,  and  one  beneath  the  palace 
gate,  to  water  all  the  town.  Such  noble  gifts  the  heavens 
had  given  to  Alcinous  the  wise. 

So  they  went  in,  and  saw  him  sitting,  like  Poseidon,  on 
his  throne,  with  his  golden  sceptre  by  him,  in  garments 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  TO9 

stiff  with  gold,  and  in  his  hand  a  sculptured  goblet,  as  he 
pledged  the  merchant  kings  ;  and  beside  him  stood  Arete, 
his  wise  and  lovely  queen,  and  leaned  against  a  pillar,  as 
she  spun  her  golden  threads. 

Then  Alcinous  rose,  and  welcomed  them,  and  bade 
them  sit  and  eat  ;  and  the  servants  brought  them  tables, 
and  bread,  and  meat,  and  wine. 

But  Medea  went  on  trembling  toward  Arete  the  fair 
queen,  and  fell  at  her  knees,  and  clasped  them,  and  cried, 
weeping  as  she  knelt,  — 

"  I  am  your  guest,  fair  queen,  and  I  entreat  you  by 
Zeus,  from  whom  prayers  come.  Do  not  send  me  back  to 
my  father,  to  die  some  dreadful  death  ;  but  let  me  go  my 
way,  and  bear  my  burden.  Have  I  not  had  enough  of 
punishment  and  shame  ?  " 

"  Who  are  you,  strange  maiden  ?  and  what  is  the  mean- 
ing of  your  prayer  ?  " 

"  I  am  Medea,  daughter  of  ^Eetes,  and  I  saw  my  coun- 
trymen here  to-day  ;  and  I  know  that  they  are  come  to 
find  me,  and  take  me  home  to  die  some  dreadful  death." 

Then  Arete  frowned,  and  said,  —  "  Lead  this  girl  in,  my 
maidens;  and  let  the  kings  decide,  not  me." 

And  Alcinous  leapt  up  from  his  throne,  and  cried, 
"Speak,  strangers,  who  are  you?  And  who  is  this 
maiden  ? " 

"We  are  the  heroes  of  the  Minyae,"  said  Jason;  "and 
this  maiden  has  spoken  truth.  We  are  the  men  who  took 
the  golden  fleece,  the  men  whose  fame  has  run  round 
every  shore.  We  came  hither  out  of  the  ocean,  after  sor- 
rows such  as  man  never  saw  before.  We  went  out  many, 
and  come  back  few,  for  many  a  noble  comrade  have  we 
lost.  So  let  us  go,  as  you  should  let  your  guests  go,  in 
peace ;  that  the  world  may  say,  'Alcinous  is  a  just  king.'  " 


110  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

But  Alcinous  frowned,  and  stood  deep  in  thought ;  and 
at  last  he  spoke,  — 

"  Had  not  the  deed  been  done  which  is  done,  I  should 
have  said  this  day  to  myself,  ( It  is  an  honor  to  Alcinous, 
and  to  his  children  after  him,  that  the  far-famed  Argo- 
nauts are  his  guests.'  But  these  Colchi  are  my  guests,  as 
you  are  ;  and  for  this  month  they  have  waited  here  with 
all  their  fleet  ;  for  they  have  hunted  all  the  seas  of  Hellas, 
and  could  not  find  you,  and  dared  neither  go  further,  nor 
go  home." 

"  Let  them  choose  out  their  champions,  and  we  will 
fight  them,  man  for  man." 

"  No  guest  of  ours  shall  fight  upon  our  own  island  ;  and 
if  you  go  outside,  they  will  outnumber  you.  I  will  do  jus- 
tice between  you,  for  I  know  and  do  what  is  right." 

Then  he  turned  to  his  kings,  and  said :  "  This  may 
stand  over  till  to-morrow.  To-night  we  will  feast  our 
guests,  and  hear  the  story  of  all  their  wanderings,  and  how 
they  came  hither  out  of  the  ocean." 

So  Alcinous  bade  the  servants  take  the  heroes  in,  and 
bathe  them,  and  give  them  clothes.  And  they  were  glad 
when  they  saw  the  warm  water,  for  it  was  long  since  they 
had  bathed.  And  they  washed  off  the  sea-salt  from  their 
limbs,  and  anointed  themselves  from  head  to  foot  with  oil, 
and  combed  out  their  golden  hair.  Then  they  came  back 
again  into  the  hall,  while  the  merchant-kings  rose  up  to 
do  them  honor.  And  each  man  said  to  his  neighbor : 
"  No  wonder  that  these  men  won  fame.  How  they  stand 
now  like  Giants,  or  Titans,  or  Immortals  come  down  from 
Olympus,  though  many  a  winter  has  worn  them,  and  many 
a  fearful  storm.  What  must  they  have  been  when  they 
sailed  from  Iolcus,  in  the  bloom  of  their  youth,  long  ago  ? " 

Then  they  went  out  to  the  garden,  and  the  merchant- 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  I  T  I 

princes  said,  "  Heroes,  run  races  with  us.  Let  us  see 
whose  feet  are  nimblest." 

"We  cannot  race  against  you,  for  our  limbs  are  stiff 
from  sea ;  and  we  have  lost  our  two  swift  comrades,  the 
sons  of  the  North  Wind.  But  do  not  think  us  cowards  :  if 
you  wish  to  try  our  strength,  we  will  shoot,  and  box,  and 
wrestle,  against  any  men  on  earth." 

And  Alcinous  smiled,  and  answered,  "  I  believe  you, 
gallant  guests  ;  with  your  long  limbs  and  broad  shoulders, 
we  could  never  match  you  here.  For  we  care  nothing 
for  boxing,  or  shooting  with  the  bow,  but  for  feasts,  and 
songs,  and  harping,  and  dancing,  and  running  races,  to 
stretch  our  limbs  on  shore." 

So  they  danced  there  and  ran  races,  the  jolly  merchant- 
kings,  till  the  night  fell,  and  all  went  in. 

And  then  they  ate  and  drank,  and  comforted  their 
weary  souls,  till  Alcinous  called  a  herald,  and  bade  him  go 
and  fetch  the  harper. 

The  herald  went  out,  and  fetched  the  harper,  and  led 
him  in  by  the  hand ;  and  Alcinous  cut  him  a  piece  of 
meat  from  the  fattest  of  the  haunch,  and  sent  it  to  him, 
and  said  :  "  Sing  to  us,  noble  harper,  and  rejoice  the 
heroes'  hearts." 

So  the  harper  played  and  sang,  while  the  dancers 
danced  strange  figures  ;  and  after  that  the  tumblers 
showed  their  tricks,  till  the  heroes  laughed  again. 

Then,  "Tell  me,  heroes,"  asked  Alcinous,  "you  who 
have  sailed  the  ocean  round,  and  seen  the  manners  of  all 
nations,  have  you  seen  such  dancers  as  ours  here  ?  or 
heard  such  music  and  such  singing  ?  We  hold  ours  to 
be  the  best  on  earth." 

"Such  dancing  we  have  never  seen,"  said  Orpheus; 
"and  your  singer  is  a  happy   man  ;   for    Phoebus  himself 


112  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

must  have  taught  him,  or  else  he  is  the  son  of  a  Muse  ;  as 
I  am  also,  and  have  sung  once  or  twice,  though  not  so 
well  as  he." 

"Sing  to  us,  then,  noble  stranger,"  said  Alcinous ; 
"  and  we  will  give  you  precious  gifts." 

So  Orpheus  took  his  magic  harp,  and  sang  to  them  a 
stirring  song  of  their  voyage  from  Iolcus,  and  their  dan- 
gers, and  how  they  won  the  golden  fleece ;  and  of  Medea's 
love,  and  how  she  helped  them,  and  went  with  them  over 
land  and  sea;  and  of  all  their  fearful  dangers,  from  mon- 
sters, and  rocks,  and  storms,  till  the  heart  of  Arete  was 
softened,  and  all  the  women  wept.  And  the  merchant- 
kings  rose  up,  each  man  from  off  his  golden  throne,  and 
clapped  their  hands,  and  shouted :  "  Hail  to  the  noble 
Argonauts,  who  sailed  the  unknown  sea  !  " 

Then  he  went  on,  and  told  their  journey  over  the  slug- 
gish northern  main,  and  through  the  shoreless  outer 
ocean,  to  the  fairy  island  of  the  west ;  and  of  the  Sirens, 
and  Scylla,  and  Chary bdis,  and  all  the  wonders  they  had 
seen,  till  midnight  passed,  and  the  day  dawned  ;  but  the 
kings  never  thought  of  sleep.  Each  man  sat  still  and 
listened,  with  his  chin  upon  his  hand. 

And  at  last,  when  Orpheus  had  ended,  they  all  went 
thoughtful  out,  and  the  heroes  lay  down  to  sleep  beneath 
the  sounding  porch  outside,  where  Arete  had  strewn  them 
rugs  and  carpets,  in  the  sweet  still  summer  night. 

But  Arete  pleaded  hard  with  her  husband  for  Medea, 
for  her  heart  was  softened.  And  she  said  :  "  The  gods 
will  punish  her,  not  we.  After  all,  she  is  our  guest  and 
my  suppliant,  and  prayers  are  the  daughters  of  Zeus. 
And  who,  too,  dare  part  man  and  wife,  after  all  they  have 
endured  together?" 

And    Alcinous    smiled,      "The    minstrel's    song    has 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  [13 

charmed  you  ;  but  I  must  remember  what  is  right,  for 
songs  cannot  alter  justice  ;  and  I  must  be  faithful  to  my 
name.  Alcinous  I  am  called,  the  man  of  sturdy  sense,1 
and  Alcinous  I  will  be."  But  for  all  that,  Arete  besought 
him  until  she  won  him  round. 

So  next  morning  he  sent  a  herald,  and  called  the  kings 
into  the  square,  and  said:  "This  is  a  puzzling  matter; 
remember  but  one  thing.  These  Minyae  live  close  by  us, 
and  we  may  meet  them  often  on  the  seas  ;  but  TEetes 
lives  afar  off,  and  we  have  only  heard  his  name.  Which, 
then,  of  the  two  is  it  safer  to  offend,  the  men  near  us,  or 
the  men  far  off?  " 

The  princes  laughed,  and  praised  his  wisdom  ;  and  Alci- 
nous called  the  heroes  to  the  square,  and  the  Colchi  also  ; 
and  they  came  and  stood  opposite  each,  other ;  but  Medea 
stayed  in  the  palace.  Then  Alcinous  spoke,  —  "  Heroes 
of  the  Colchi,  what  is  your  errand  about  this  lady  ?  " 

"To  carry  her  home  with  us,  that  she  may  die  a  shame- 
ful death  :  but  if  we  return  without  her,  we  must  die  the 
death  she  should  have  died." 

"What  say  you  to  this,  Jason  the  ^Eolid  ? "  said  Alci- 
nous, turning  to  the  Minyae. 

"I  say,"  said  the  cunning  Jason,  "that  they  are  come 
here  on  a  bootless  errand.  Do  you  think  that  you  can 
make  her  follow  you,  heroes  of  the  Colchi  ?  her,  who 
knows  all  spells  and  charms  ?  She  will  cast  away  your 
ships  on  quicksands,  or  call  down  on  you  Brimo  the  wild 
huntress  ;  or  the  chains  will  fall  from  off  her  wrists,  and 
she  will  escape  in  her  dragon-car  ;  or  if  not  thus,  some 
other  way  ;  for  she  has  a  thousand  plans  and  wiles.  And 
why  return  home  at  all,  brave  heroes,  and  face  the  long 
seas  again,  and   the   Bosphorus,  and  the   stormy  Etixine, 

1  Translation  of  the  Greek  name  .Heinous, 


114  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

and  double  all  your  toil  ?  There  is  many  a  fair  land 
round  these  coasts,  which  waits  for  gallant  men  like  you. 
Better  to  settle  there,  and  build  a  city,  and  let  ^Eetes  and 
Golchis  help  themselves." 

Then  a  murmur  rose  among  the  Colchi,  and  some  cried, 
"  He  has  spoken  well  "  ;  and  some,  "  We  have  had  enough 
of  roving ;  we  will  sail  the  seas  no  more ! "  And  the 
chief  said  at  last,  "  Be  it  so,  then;  a  plague  she  has  been 
to  us,  and  a  plague  to  the  house  of  her  father,  and  a  plague 
she  will  be  to  you.  Take  her,  since  you  are  no  wiser ; 
and  we  will  sail  away  toward  the  north. " 

Then  Aleinous  gave  them  food,  and  water,  and  gar- 
ments, and  rich  presents  of  all  sorts  ;  and  he  gave  the 
same  to  the  Minyae,  and  sent  them  all  away  in  peace. 

So  Jason  kept  the  dark  witch-maiden  to  breed  him  woe 
and  shame  ;  and  the  Colchi  went  northward  into  the  Adri- 
atic, and  settled,  and  built  towns  along  the  shore. 

Then  the  heroes  rowed  away  to  the  eastward,  to  reach 
Hellas,  their  beloved  land  ;  but  a  storm  came  down  upon 
them,  and  swept  them  far  awray  toward  the  south.  And 
they  rowed  till  they  were  spent  with  struggling,  through 
the  darkness  and  the  blinding  rain,  but  where  they  were 
they  could  not  tell,  and  they  gave  up  all  hope  of  life.  And 
at  last  they  touched  the  ground,  and  when  daylight  came 
they  waded  to  the  shore  ;  and  saw  nothing  round  but  sand, 
and  desolate  salt  pools  ;  for  they  had  come  to  the  quick- 
sands of  the  Syrtis,  and  the  dreary,  treeless  flats  which  lie 
between  Numidia  and  Cyrene,  on  the  burning  shore  of 
Africa.  And  there  they  wandered,  starving,  for  many  a 
weary  day,  ere  they  could  launch  their  ship  again,  and 
gain  the  open  sea.  And  there  Can  thus  was  killed  while 
he  was  trying  to  drive  off  sheep,  by  a  stone  which  a  herds- 
man threw, 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  I  1  5 

And  there  too  Mopsus  died,  the  seer  who  knew  the 
voices  of  all  birds  :  but  he  could  not  foretell  his  own  end, 
for  he  was  bitten  in  the  foot  by  a  snake,  one  of  those 
which  sprang  from  the  Gorgon's  head  when  Perseus  car- 
ried it  across  the  sands. 

At  last  they  rowed  away  toward  the  northward,  for 
many  a  weary  day,  till  their  water  was  spent,  and  their 
food  eaten  ;  and  they  were  worn  out  with  hunger  and 
thirst.  But  at  last  they  saw  a  long,  steep  island,  and  a 
blue  peak  high  among  the  clouds  ;  and  they  knew  it  for 
the  peak  of  Ida,  and  the  famous  land  of  Crete.  And  they 
said,  "We  will  land  in  Crete,  and  see  Minos  the  just  king, 
and  all  his  glory  and  his  wealth ;  at  least  he  will  treat  us 
hospitably,  and  let  us  fill  our  water-casks  upon  the  shore." 

But  when  they  came  nearer  to  the  island  they  saw  a 
wondrous  sight  upon  the  cliffs.  For  on  a  cape  to  the 
westward  stood  a  giant,  taller  than  any  mountain  pine, 
who  glittered  aloft  against  the  sky  like  a  tower  of  bur- 
nished brass.  He  turned  and  looked  on  all  sides  round 
him,  till  he  saw  the  Argo  and  her  crew ;  and  when  he  saw 
them  he  came  toward  them,  more  swiftly  than  the  swiftest 
horse,  leaping  across  the  glens  at  a  bound,  and  striding  at 
one  step  from  down  to  down.  And  when  he  came  abreast 
of  them  he  brandished  his  arms  up  and  down,  as  a  ship 
hoists  and  lowers  her  yards,  and  shouted  with  his  brazen 
throat  like  a  trumpet  from  off  the  hills,  — "  You  are 
pirates,  you  are  robbers!     If  you  dare  land  here,  you  die." 

Then  the  heroes  cried,  "  We  are  no  pirates.  We  are  all 
good  men  and  true,  and  all  we  ask  is  food  and  water  "  : 
but  the  Giant  cried  the  more  — 

"You  are  robbers,  you  are  pirates  all  ;  I  know  you  ;  and 
if  you  land  you  shall  die  the  death." 

Then  he  waved  his  arms  again  as  a  signal,  and  they  saw 


Il6  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

the  people  flying  inland,  driving  their  flocks  before  them, 
while  a  great  flame  arose  among  the  hills.  Then  the  giant 
ran  up  a  valley  and  vanished  ;  and  the  heroes  lay  on  their 
cfars  ill  fear. 

But  Medea  stood  watching  all  from  under  her  steep 
black  brows,  with  a  cunning  smile  upon  her  lips,  and  a 
cunning  plot  within  her  heart.  At  last  she  spoke :  "  I 
know  this  giant.  I  heard  of  him  in  the  East.  Hephaestus 
the  Fire  King  made  him,  in  his  forge  in  /Etna  beneath 
the  earth,  and  called  him  Talos,  and  gave  him  to  Minos 
for  a  servant,  to  guard  the  coast  of  Crete.  Thrice  a  day 
he  walks  round  the  island,  and  never  stops  to  sleep  ;  and 
if  strangers  land  he  leaps  into  his  furnace,  which  flames 
there  among  the  hills  ;  and  when  he  is  red-hot  he  rushes 
on  them,  and  burns  them  in  his  brazen  hands." 

Then  all  the  heroes  cried,  "  What  shall  we  do,  wise 
Medea  ?  We  must  have  water,  or  we  die  of  thirst.  Flesh 
and  blood  we  can  face  fairly ;  but  who  can  face  this  red- 
hot  brass  ?  " 

"  I  can  face  red-hot  brass,  if  the  tale  I  hear  be  true. 
For  they  say  that  he  has  but  one  vein  in  all  his  body, 
filled  with  liquid  fire,  and  that  this  vein  is  closed  with  a 
nail ;  but  I  know  not  where  that  nail  is  placed.  But  if  I 
can  get  it  once  into  these  hands,  you  shall  water  your 
ship  here  in  peace." 

Then  she  bade  them  put  her  on  shore,  and  row  off 
again,  and  wait  what  would  befall. 

And  the  heroes  obeyed  her  unwillingly,  for  they  were 
ashamed  to  leave  her  so  alone  ;  but  Jason  said,  "  She  is 
dearer  to  me  than  to  any  of  you,  yet  I  will  trust  her  freely 
on  shore  ;  she  has  more  plots  than  we  can  dream  of,  in 
the  windings  of  that  fair  and  cunning  head." 

So  they  left   the   witch-maiden  on  the  shore  ;  and  she 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  ItJ 

stood  there  in  her  beauty  all  alone,  till  the  giant  strode 
back  red-hot  from  head  to  heel,  while  the  grass  hissed  and 
smoked  beneath  his  tread. 

And  when  he  saw  the  maiden  alone,  he  stopped  ;  and 
she  looked  boldly  up  into  his  face  without  moving,  and 
began  her  magic  song  :  — 

"  Life  is  short,  though  life  is  sweet  ;  and  even  men  of 
brass  and  fire  must  die.  The  brass  must  rust,  the  fire 
must  cool,  for  time  gnaws  all  things  in  their  turn.  Life  is 
short,  though  life  is  sweet ;  but  sweeter  to  live  forever  ; 
sweeter  to  live  ever  youthful  like  the  gods,  who  have 
ichor1  in  their  veins;  ichor  which  gives  life,  and  youth, 
and  joy,  and  a  bounding  heart." 

Then  Talos  said,  "Who  are  you,  strange  maiden;  and 
where  is  this  ichor  of  youth  ?  " 

Then  Medea  held  up  a  flask  of  crystal,  and  said,  "  Here 
is  the  ichor  of  youth.  I  am  Medea  the  enchantress  ;  my 
sister  Circe  gave  me  this,  and  said,  '  Go  and  reward  Talos 
the  faithful  servant,  for  his  fame  is  gone  out  into  all  lands.' 
So  come,  and  I  will  pour  this  into  your  veins,  that  you 
may  live  forever  young." 

And  he  listened  to  her  false  words,  that  simple  Talos, 
and  came  near ;  and  Medea  said,  "■  Dip  yourself  in  the 
sea  first,  and  cool  yourself,  lest  you  burn  my  tender  hands ; 
then  show  me  where  the  nail  in  your  vein  is,  that  I  may 
pour  the  ichor  in." 

Then  that  simple  Talos  dipped  himself  in  the  sea  till 
it  hissed,  and  roared,  and  smoked  ;  and  came  and  knelt 
before  Medea,  and  showed  her  the  secret  nail. 

And  she  drew  the  nail  out  gently,  but  she  poured  no 
ichor  in  ;  and  instead,  the  liquid  fire  spouted  forth,  like  a 

1  Name  of  the  fluid  that  supplied  the  place  of  blood  in  the  veins  of  the 
gods. 


Ii8  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

stream  of  red-hot  iron.  And  Talos  tried  to  leap  up,  cry- 
ing, "You  have  betrayed  me,  false  witch-maiden!"  But 
she  lifted  up  her  hands  before  him,  and  sang,  till  he  sank 
beneath  her  spell.  And  as  he  sank,  his  brazen  limbs 
clanked  heavily,  and  the  earth  groaned  beneath  his 
weight ;  and  the  liquid  fire  ran  from  his  heel,  like  a 
stream  of  lava,  to  the  sea ;  and  Medea  laughed,  and  called 
to  the  heroes,  "  Come  ashore,  and  water  your  ship  in 
peace." 

So  they  came,  and  found  the  giant  lying  dead  ;  and  they 
fell  down,  and  kissed  Medea's  feet  ;  and  watered  their 
ship,  and  took  sheep  and  oxen,  and  so  left  that  inhospita- 
ble shore. 

At  last,  after  many  more  adventures,  they  came  to  the 
Cape  of  Malea,  at  the  southwest  point  of  the  Peloponnese. 
And  there  they  offered  sacrifices,  and  Orpheus  purged 
them  from  their  guilt.  Then  they  rowed  away  again,  to 
the  northward,  past  the  Laconian  shore,  and  came  all 
worn  and  tired  by  Sunium,  and  up  the  long  Eubcean 
Strait,  until  they  saw  once  more  Pelion,  and  Aphetae,  and 
Iolcus  by  the  sea. 

And  they  ran  the  ship  ashore,  but  they  had  no  strength 
left  to  haul  her  up  the  beach  ;  and  they  crawled  out  on 
the  pebbles,  and  sat  down,  and  wept  till  they  could  weep 
no  more.  For  the  houses  and  the  trees  were  all  altered  ; 
and  all  the  faces  which  they  saw  were  strange  ;  and  their 
joy  was  swallowed  up  in  sorrow,  while  they  thought  of 
their  youth,  and  all  their  labor,  and  the  gallant  comrades 
they  had  lost. 

And  the  people  crowded  round,  and  asked  them,  "Who 
are  you,  that  you  sit  weeping  here  ? " 

"  We  are  the  sons  of  your  princes,  who  sailed  out  many 
a  year  ago.     We  went  to  fetch  the  golden  fleece,  and  we 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  1  19 

have  brought  it,  and  grief  therewith,  (rive  us  news  of  our 
fathers  and  our  mothers,  if  any  of  them  be  left  alive  on 
earth." 

Then  there  was  shouting,  and  laughing,  and  weeping  ; 
and  all  the  kings  came  to  the  shore,  and  they  led  away  the 
heroes  to  their  homes,  and  bewailed  the  valiant  dead. 

Then  Jason  went  up  with  Medea  to  the  palace  of  his 
uncle  Pelias.  And  when  he  came  in,  Pelias  sat  by  the 
hearth,  crippled  and  blind  with  age  ;  while  opposite  him 
sat  yEson,  Jason's  father,  crippled  and  blind  likewise  ;  and 
the  two  old  men's  heads  shook  together,  as  they  tried  to 
warm  themselves  before  the  fire. 

And  Jason  fell  down  at  his  father's  knees,  and  wept, 
and  called  him  by  his  name.  And  the  old  man  stretched 
his  hands  out,  and  felt  him,  and  said,  "  Do  not  mock  me, 
young  hero.     My  son  Jason  is  dead  long  ago  at  sea." 

"  I  am  your  own  son  Jason,  whom  you  trusted  to  the 
Centaur  upon  Pelion  ;  and  I  have  brought  home  the 
golden  fleece,  and  a  princess  of  the  Sun's  race  for  my 
bride.  So  now  give  me  up  the  kingdom,  Pelias  my  uncle, 
and  fulfil  your  promise  as  I  have  fulfilled  mine." 

Then  his  father  clung  to  him  like  a  child,  and  wept,  and 
would  not  let  him  go,  and  cried,  "  Now  I  shall  not  go 
down  lonely  to  my  grave.  Promise  me  never  to  leave  me 
till  I  die." 


2Q  THE  ARGONAUTS. 


PART  VI. 

WHAT    WAS    THE    END    OF    THE    HEROES. 

And  now  I  wish  that  I  could  end  my  story  pleasantly ; 
but  it  is  no  fault  of  mine  that  I  cannot.  The  old  songs 
end  it  sadly,  and  I  believe  that  they  are  right  and  wise  ; 
for  though  the  heroes  were  purified  at  Malea,  yet  sacrifi- 
ces cannot  make  bad  hearts  good,  and  Jason  had  taken  a 
wicked  wife,  and  he  had  to  bear  his  burden  to  the  last. 

And  first  she  laid  a  cunning  plot  to  punish  that  poor 
old  Pelias,  instead  of  letting  him  die  in  peace. 

For  she  told  his  daughters,  "  I  can  make  old  things 
young  again  ;  I  will  show  you  how  easy  it  is  to  do."  So 
she  took  an  old  ram  and  killed  him,  and  put  him  in  a  caul- 
dron with  magic  herbs,  and  whispered  her  spells  over 
him,  and  he  leapt  out  again  a  young  lamb.  So  that 
"  Medea's  cauldron  "  is  a  proverb  still,  by  which  we  mean 
times  of  war  and  change,  when  the  world  has  become  old 
and  feeble,  and  grows  young  again  through  bitter  pains. 

Then  she  said  to  Pelias's  daughters,  "  Do  to  your  father 
as  I  did  to  this  ram,  and  he  will  grow  young  and  strong 
again."  But  she  only  told  them  half  the  spell ;  so  they 
failed,  while  Medea  mocked  them  ;  and  poor  old  Pelias 
died,  and  his  daughters  came  to  misery.  But  the  songs 
say  she  cured  yEson,  Jason's  father,  and  he  became  young 
and  strong  again. 

But  Jason  could  not  love  her,  after  all  her  cruel  deeds. 
So  he  was  ungrateful  to  her,  and  wronged  her :  and  she 
revenged   herself  on  him.      And  a  terrible   revenge   she 


THE  ARGONAUTS.  \  2  I 

took — too  terrible  to  speak  of  here.  But  you  will  hear 
of  it  yourselves  when  you  grow  up,  for  it  has  been  sung 
in  noble  poetry  and  music  ;  and  whether  it  be  true  or  not, 
it  stands  forever  as  a  warning  to  us  not  to  seek  for  help 
from  evil  persons,  or  to  gain  good  ends  by  evil  means. 
For  if  we  use  an  adder,  even  against  our  enemies,  it  will 
turn  again  and  sting  us. 

But  of  all  the  other  heroes  there  is  many  a  brave  tale 
left,  which  I  have  no.  space  to  tell  you,  so  you  must  read 
them  for  yourselves  ;  —  of  the  hunting  of  the  boar  in  Caly- 
clon,  which  Meleager  killed ;  and  of  Heracles's  twelve 
famous  labors  ;  and  of  the  seven  who  fought  at  Thebes  ; 
and  of  the  noble  love  of  Castor  and  Polycleuces,  the  twin 
Dioscuri1;  how  when  one  died,  the  other  would  not  live 
without  him,  so  they  shared  their  immortality  between 
them  ;  and  Zeus  changed  them  into  the  two  twin  stars 
which  never  rise  both  at  once. 

And  what  became  of  Cheiron,  the  good  immortal  beast  ? 
That,  too,  is  a  sad  story  ;  for  the  heroes  never  saw  him 
more.  He  was  wounded  by  a  poisoned  arrow,  at  Pholoe 
among  the  hills,  when  Heracles  opened  the  fatal  wine-jar, 
which  Cheiron  had  warned  him  not  to  touch.  And  the 
Centaurs  smelt  the  wine,  and  flocked  to  it,  and  fought  for 
it  with  Heracles  ;  but  he  killed  them  all  with  his  poisoned 
arrows,  and  Cheiron  was  left  alone.  Then  Cheiron  took 
up  one  of  the  arrows,  and  dropped  it  by  chance  upon  his 
foot ;  and  the  poison  ran  like  fire  along  his  veins,  and  he 
lay  down,  and  longed  to  die  ;  and  cried,  "  Through  wine  I 
perish,  the  bane  of  all  my  race.  Why  should  I  live  for- 
ever in  this  agony  ?  Who  will  take  my  immortality  that 
I  may  die  ?  " 

Then    Prometheus    answered,    the    good    Titan,    whom 

1  The  name  signifies  sons  of  Zetis. 


122  THE  ARGONAUTS. 

Heracles  had  set  free  from  Caucasus,  "  I  will  take  your 
immortality  and  live  forever,  that  I  may  help  poor  mortal 
men."  So  Cheiron  gave  him  his  immortality,  and  died, 
and  had  rest  from  pain.  And  Heracles  and  Prometheus 
wept  over  him,  and  went  to  bury  him  on  Pelion  ;  but  Zeus 
took  him  up  among  the  stars,  to  live  forever,  grand  and 
mild,  low  down  in  the  far  southern  sky. 

And  in  time  the  heroes  died,  all  but  Nestor  the  silver- 
tongued  old  man  ;  and  left  behind  them  valiant  sons,  but 
not  so  great  as  they  had  been.  Yet  their  fame,  too,  lives 
till  this  day  ;  for  they  fought  at  the  ten  years'  siege  of 
Troy,1  and  their  story  is  in  the  book  which  we  call 
Homer,  in  two  of  the  noblest  songs  on  earth  :  the  Iliad, 
which  tells  us  of  the  siege  of  Troy,  and  Achilles's  quarrel 
with  the  kings  ;  and  the  Odyssey,  which  tells  the  wander- 
ings of  Odysseus  through  many  lands  for  many  years  ;  and 
how  Alcinous  sent  him  home  at  last,  safe  to  Ithaca  his 
beloved  island,  and  to  Penelope  his  faithful  wife,  and  Te- 
lemachus  his  son,  and  Euphorbus  the  noble  swineherd,  and 
the  old  dog  who  licked  his  hand  and  died.  We  will  read 
that  sweet  story,  children,  by  the  fire  some  winter  night. 
And  now  I  will  end  my  tale,  and  begin  another  and  a 
more  cheerful  one,  of  a  hero  who  became  a  worthy  king, 
and  won  his  people's  love. 

1  See  foot-note  5,  p.  66. 


STORY  III. -THESEUS. 


STORY    III.  — THESEUS. 
PART   I. 

HOW    THESEUS    LIFTED    THE    STONE. 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  princess  in  Trcezene, 
^Ethra,  the  daughter  of  Pittheus  the  king.  She  had 
one  fair  son,  named  Theseus,  the  bravest  lad  in  all  the 
land  ;  and  ^Ethra  never  smiled  but  when  she  looked  at  him, 
for  her  husband  had  forgotten  her,  and  lived  far  away.  And 
she  used  to  go  up  to  the  mountain  above  Trcezene,  to  the 
temple  of  Poseidon,  and  sit  there  all  clay  looking  out 
across  the  bay,  over  Methana,  to  the  purple  peaks  of 
/Egina,  and  the  Attic  shore  beyond.  And  when  Theseus 
was  full  fifteen  years  old,  she  took  him  up  with  her  to  the 
temple,  and  into  the  thickets  of  the  grove  which  grew  in 
the  temple-yard.  And  she  led  him  to  a  tall  plane-tree, 
beneath  whose  shade  grew  arbutus,  and  lentisk,  and  purple 
heather-bushes.  And  there  she  sighed,  and  said,  "  The- 
seus, my  son,  go  into  that  thicket,  and  you  will  find  at  the 
plane-tree  foot  a  great  flat  stone ;  lift  it,  and  bring  me 
what  lies  underneath." 

Then  Theseus  pushed  his  way  in  through  the  thick 
bushes,  and  saw  that  they  had  not  been  moved  for  many 
a  year.  And  searching  among  their  roots  he  found  a 
great  flat  stone,  all  overgrown  with  ivy,  and  acanthus,  and 
moss.     He  tried  to  lift  it,  but  he  could  not.     And  he  tried 


126  THESEUS, 

till  the  sweat  ran  down  his  brow  from  heat,  and  the  tears 
from  his  eyes  for  shame  :  but  all  was  of  no  avail.  And  at 
last  he  came  back  to  his  mother,  and  said,  "  I  have  found 
the  stone,  but  I  cannot  lift  it ;  nor  do  I  think  that  any 
man  could  in  all  Trcezene." 

Then  she  sighed,  and  said,  "  The  gods  wait  long ;  but 
they  are  just  at  last.  Let  it  be  for  another  year.  The 
day  may  come  when  you  will  be  a  stronger  man  than  lives 
in  all  Trcezene." 

Then  she  took  him  by  the  hand,  and  went  into  the 
temple  and  prayed,  and  came  down  again  with  Theseus  to 
her  home. 

And  when  a  full  year  was  past,  she  led  Theseus  up 
again  to  the  temple,  and  bade  him  lift  the  stone  :  but  he 
could  not. 

Then  she  sighed,  and  said  the  same  words  again,  and 
went  down,  and  came  again  the  next  year;  but  Theseus 
could  not  lift  the  stone  then,  nor  the  year  after  ;  and  he 
longed  to  ask  his  mother  the  meaning  of  that  stone,  and 
what  might  lie  underneath  it  ;  but  her  face  was  so  sad  that 
he  had  not  the  heart  to  ask. 

So  he  said  to  himself,  "The  day  shall  surely  come  when 
I  will  lift  that  stone,  though  no  man  in  Trcezene  can." 
And  in  order  to  grow  strong  he  spent  all  his  days  in 
wrestling,  and  boxing,  and  hurling,  and  taming  horses, 
and  hunting  the  boar  and  the  bull,  and  coursing  goats  and 
deer  among  the  rocks,  till  upon  all  the  mountains  there 
was  no  hunter  so  swift  as  Theseus  ;  and  he  killed  Phaea, 
the  wild  sow  of  Crommyon,  which  wasted  all  the  land  ; 
till  all  the  people  said,  "  Surely  the  gods  are  with  the  lad." 

And  when  his  eighteenth  year  was  past,  y£thra  led  him 
up  again  to  the  temple,  and  said,  "  Theseus,  lift  the  stone 
this   day,  or   never   know   who   you   are,"     And   Theseus 


THESEUS.  12/ 

went  into  the  thicket,  and  stood  over  the  stone,  and 
tugged  at  it ;  and  it  moved.  Then  his  spirit  swelled 
within  him,  and  he  said,  "  If  I  break  my  heart  in  my  body, 
it  shall  up."  And  he  tugged  at  it  once  more,  and  lifted 
it,  and  rolled  it  over  with  a  shout. 

And  when  he  looked  beneath  it,  on  the  ground  lay  a 
sword  of  bronze,  with  a  hilt  of  glittering  gold,  and  by  it  a 
pair  of  golden  sandals  ;  and  he  caught  them  up,  and  burst 
through  the  bushes  like  a  wild  boar,  and  leapt  to  his 
mother,  holding  them  high  above  his  head. 

But  when  she  saw  them  she  wept  long  in  silence,  hid- 
ing her  fair  face  in  her  shawl ;  and  Theseus  stood  by  her 
wondering,  and  wept  also,  he  knew  not  why.  And  when 
she  was  tired  of  weeping,  she  lifted  up  her  head,  and  laid 
her  finger  on  her  lips,  and  said,  "  Hide  them  in  your 
bosom,  Theseus  my  son,  and  come  with  me  where  we  can 
look  down  upon  the  sea." 

Then  they  went  outside  the  sacred  wall,  and  looked 
down  over  the  bright  blue  sea ;  and  /Ethra  said,  — 

"  Do  you  see  this  land  at  our  feet  ? " 

And  he  said,  "  Yes,  this  is  Troezene,  where  I  was  born 
and  bred." 

And  she  said,  "  It  is  but  a  little  land,  barren  and  rocky, 
and  looks  toward  the  bleak  northeast.  Do  you  see  that 
land  beyond  ?  " 

"Yes;  that  is  Attica,  where  the  Athenian  people 
dwell." 

"  That  is  a  fair  land  and  large,  Theseus,  my  son  ;  and  it 
looks  toward  the  sunny  south ;  a  land  of  olive-oil  and 
honey,  the  joy  of  gods  and  men.  For  the  gods  have 
girdled  it  with  mountains,  whose  veins  are  of  pure  silver, 
and  their  bones  of  marble  white  as  snow ;  and  there  the 
hills  are  sweet  with  thyme  and  basil,  and  the  meadows 


1 28  THESEUS. 

with  violet  and  asphodel,  and  the  nightingales  sing  all  day 
in  the  thickets,  by  the  side  of  ever-flowing  streams. 
There  are  twelve  towns  well  peopled,  the  homes  of  an 
ancient  race,  the  children  of  Cecrops1  the  serpent-king,  the 
son  of  Mother  Earth,  who  wear  gold  cicalas  among  the 
tresses  of  their  golden  hair ;  for  like  the  cicalas  they 
sprang  from  the  earth,  and  like  the  cicalas  they  sing  all 
day,  rejoicing  in  the  genial  sun.  What  would  you  do,  son 
Theseus,  if  you  were  king  of  such  a  land  ? " 

Then  Theseus  stood  astonished,  as  he  looked  across 
the  broad  bright  sea,  and  saw  the  fair  Attic  shore  from 
Sunium  to  Hymettus  and  Pentelicus,  and  all  the  moun- 
tain peaks  which  girdle  Athens  round.  But  Athens  itself 
he  could  not  see,  for  purple  JEgina  stood  before  it,  mid- 
way across  the  sea. 

Then  his  heart  grew  great  within  him,  and  he  said,  "  If 
I  were  king  of  such  a  land,  I  would  rule  it  wisely  and  well 
in  wisdom  and  in  might,  that  when  I  died  all  men  might 
weep  over  my  tomb,  and  cry,  '  Alas  for  the  shepherd  of 
his  people  ! '  " 

And  iEthra  smiled,  and  said,  "Take,  then,  the  sword 
and  the  sandals,  and  go  to  ^Egeus,  king  of  Athens,  who 
lives  on  Pallas's  hill,  and  say  to  him,  f  The  stone  is  lifted, 
but  whose  is  the  pledge  beneath  it  ? '  Then  show  him 
the  sword  and  the  sandals,  and  take  what  the  gods  shall 
send." 

But  Theseus  wept  —  "Shall  I  leave  you,  O  my  mother?" 

But  she  answered,  "  Weep  not  for  me.  That  which  is 
fated  must  be  ;  and  grief  is  easy  to  those  who  do  naught 
but  grieve.     Full  of  sorrow  was  my  youth,  and  full  of  sor- 

1  Mythical  king  of  Attica  and  founder  of  Athens.  According  to  the  legends, 
the  upper  part  of  his  body  had  the  form  of  a  man;  the  lower,  that  of  a  ser- 
pent. 


THESEUS.  129 

row  my  womanhood.  Full  of  sorrow  was  my  youth  for 
Bellerophon  1  the  slayer  of  the  Chimsera,2  whom  my  father 
drove  away  by  treason  ;  and  full  of  sorrow  my  womanhood 
for  thy  treacherous  father3  and  for  thee;  and  full  of  sor- 
row my  old  age  will  be  (for  I  see  my  fate  in  dreams)  when 
the  sons  of  the  Swan  4  shall  carry  me  captive  to  the  hollow 
vale  of  Eurotas,5  till  I  sail  across  the  seas  a  slave,  the 
handmaid  of  the  pest 6  of  Greece.  Yet  shall  I  be  avenged 
when  the  golden-haired  heroes  sail  against  Troy,  and  sack 
the  palaces  of  Ilium 7 ;  then  my  son  shall  set  me  free  from 
thraldom,  and  I  shall  hear  the  tale  of  Theseus's  fame. 
Yet  beyond  that  I  see  new  sorrows ;  but  I  can  bear  them 
as  I  have  borne  the  past." 

Then  she  kissed  Theseus,  and  wept  over  him  ;  and  went 
into  the  temple,  and  Theseus  saw  her  no  more. 

1  Bellerophon,  having  unwittingly  committed  a  murder,  fled  to  Prcetus,  king 
of  Tiryns,  to  be  purified.  Here  he  was  falsely  accused  by  the  wife  of  Proetus, 
and  was  in  consequence  sent  by  Prcetus  to  Iobates,  king  of  Lycia,  with  a  letter 
in  which  the  latter  was  requested  to  put  him  to  death.  Iobates  accordingly, 
believing  that  the  youth  would  perish  in  the  encounter,  sent  him  to  slay  the 
Chimaera,  a  fire-breathing  monster  that  was  desolating  Lycia.  Bellerophon, 
however,  having  secured  the  winged  horse  Pegasus,  mounted  with  him  into 
the  air,  and  slew  the  Chimsera  with  his  darts.  Mr.  Kingsley  appears  here  to 
confound  Pittheus,  the  father  of  ^Ethra,  with  Prcetus. 

2  A  fire-breathing  monster,  the  fore  part  of  whose  body  had  the  form  of  a 
lion,  the  middle  part  that  of  a  goat,  and  the  hind  part  that  of  a  dragon. 

3  ^Egeus  had  contracted  a  secret  marriage  with  ^Efhra,  and  had  afterwards 
deserted  her. 

4  Castor  and  Polydeuces  are  called  the  "sons  of  the  Swan,"  in  allusion  to 
the  fable  that  Zeus  had  visited  their  mother  in  the  form  of  a  swan.  They  car- 
ried JEthra  captive  to  Sparta,  where  she  became  a  slave  of  Helen. 

5  The  river  which  flows  by  Sparta. 

6  Helen  is  here  called  the  "  pest  of  Greece,"  because  she  was  the  cause  of 
the  Trojan  war. 

7  Poetic  name  of  Troy. 


ISO  THESEUS. 


PART    II. 

HOW    THESEUS    SLEW    THE    DEVOURERS    OF    MEN. 

So  Theseus  stood  there  alone,  with  his  mind  full  of 
many  hopes.  And  first  he  thought  of  going  down  to  the 
harbor  and  hiring  a  swift  ship,  and  sailing  across  the  bay 
to  Athens  ;  but  even  that  seemed  too  slow  for  him,  and 
he  longed  for  wings  to  fly  across  the  sea,  and  find  his 
father.  But  after  a  while  his  heart  began  to  fail  him,  and 
he  sighed,  and  said  within  himself, — 

"  What  if  my  father  have  other  sons  about  him  whom 
he  loves  ?  What  if  he  will  not  receive  me  ?  And  what 
have  I  done  that  he  should  receive  me  ?  He  has  forgotten 
me  ever  since  I  was  born  :  why  should  he  welcome  me 
now  i 

Then  he  thought  a  long  while  sadly ;  and  at  the  last  he 
cried  aloud,  "  Yes  !  I  will  make  him  love  me ;  for  I  will 
prove  myself  worthy  of  his  love.  I  will  win  honor  and 
renown,  and  do  such  deeds  that  yEgeus  shall  be  proud  of 
me,  though  he  had  fifty  other  sons  !  Did  not  Heracles 
win  himself  honor  though  he  was  opprest,  and  the  slave 
of  Eurystheus 2  ?  Did  he  not  kill  all  robbers  and  evil 
beasts,  and  drain  great  lakes  and  marshes,  breaking  the 
hills  through  with  his  club  ?  Therefore  it  was  that  all 
men  honored  him,  because  he  rid  them  of  their  miseries, 
and  made  life  pleasant  to  them  and  their  children  after 
them.     Where   can   I   go,   to   do   as   Heracles   has   done  ? 

1  A  king  of  Mycena;,  in  whose  service  Heracles  performed  his  celebrated 
labors. 


THESEUS.  131 

Where  can  I  find  strange  adventures,  robbers,  and  mon- 
sters, and  the  children  of  hell,  the  enemies  of  men  ?  I 
will  go  by  land,  and  into  the  mountains,  and  round  by  the 
way  of  the  Isthmus.1  Perhaps  there  I  may  hear  of  brave 
adventures,  and  do  something  which  shall  win  my  father's 
love." 

So  he  went  by  land,  and  away  into  the  mountains,  with 
his  father's  sword  upon  his  thigh,  till  he  came  to  the 
Spider2  Mountains,  which  hang  over  Epidaurus  and  the 
sea,  where  the  glens  run  downward  from  one  peak  in 
the  midst,  as  the  rays  spread  in  a  spider's  web. 

And  he  went  up  into  the  gloomy  glens,  between  the 
furrowed  marble  walls,  till  the  lowland  grew  blue  beneath 
his  feet,  and  the  clouds  drove  damp  about  his  head. 

But  he  went  up  and  up  forever,  through  the  spider's 
web  of  glens,  till  he  could  see  the  narrow  gulfs  spread 
below  him,  north  and  south,  and  east  and  west  ;  black 
cracks  half-choked  with  mists,  and  above  all  a  dreary 
down. 

But  over  that  down  he  must  go,  for  there  was  no  road 
right  or  left ;  so  he  toiled  on  through  bog  and  brake,  till 
he  came  to  a  pile  of  stones. 

And  on  the  stones  a  man  was  sitting,  wrapt  in  a  bear- 
skin cloak.  The  head  of  the  bear  served  him  for  a  cap, 
and  its  teeth  grinned  white  around  his  brows  ;  and  the 
feet  were  tied  about  his  throat,  and  their  claws  shone 
white  upon  his  chest.  And  when  he  saw  Theseus  he  rose, 
and  laughed  till  the  glens  rattled. 

"And  who  art  thou,  fair  fly,  who  hast  walked  into  the 
spider's  web  ? "  But  Theseus  walked  on  steadily,  and 
made  no  answer  ;  but  he  thought,  "  Is  this  some  robber  ? 

1  The  Isthmus  of  Corinth. 

2  Translation  of  the  Greek  name  Arachnaeus. 


132  THESEUS. 

and  has  an  adventure  come  already  to  me  ?  "  But  the 
strange  man  laughed  louder  than  ever,  and  said,  — 

"  Bold  fly,  know  you  not  that  these  glens  are  the  web 
from  which  no  fly  ever  finds  his  way  out  again,  and  this 
down  the  spider's  house,  and  I  the  spider  who  suck  the 
flies  ?  Come  hither,  and  let  me  feast  upon  you,  for  it  is 
of  no  use  to  run  away,  so  cunning  a  web  has  my  father 
Hephaestus  spread  for  me  when  he  made  these  clefts  in 
the  mountains,  through  which  no  man  finds  his  way 
home." 

But  Theseus  came  on  steadily,  and  asked,  — 

"And  what  is  your  name  among  men,  bold  spider?  and 
where  are  your  spider's  fangs  ?  " 

Then  the  strange  man  laughed  again,  — 

"My  name  is  Periphetes,  the  son  of  Hephaestus  and 
Anticlea  the  mountain  nymph.  But  men  call  me  Cory- 
netes  the  club-bearer;  and  here  is  my  spider's  fang." 

And  he  lifted  from  off  the  stones  at  his  side  a  mighty 
club  of  bronze. 

"This  my  father  gave  me,  and  forged  it  himself  in  the 
roots  of  the  mountain  ;  and  with  it  I  pound  all  proud  flies 
till  they  give  out  their  fatness  and  their  sweetness.  So 
give  me  up  that  gay  sword  of  yours,  and  your  mantle,  and 
your  golden  sandals,  lest  I  pound  you,  and  by  ill  luck  you 
die." 

But  Theseus  wrapt  his  mantle  round  his  left  arm 
quickly  in  hard  folds,  from  his  shoulder  to  his  hand,  and 
drew  his  sword,  and  rushed  upon  the  club-bearer,  and  the 
club-bearer  rushed  on  him. 

Thrice  he  struck  at  Theseus,  and  made  him  bend  under 
the  blows  like  a  sapling  ;  but  Theseus  guarded  his  head 
with  his  left  arm,  and  the  mantle  which  was  wrapt 
around  it 


THESE&S.  133 

And  thrice  Theseus  sprang  upright  after  the  blow,  like 
a  sapling  when  the  storm  is  past ;  and  he  stabbed  at  the 
club-bearer  with  his  sword,  but  the  loose  folds  of  the  bear- 
skin saved  him. 

Then  Theseus  grew  mad,  and  closed  with  him,  and 
caught  him  by  the  throat,  and  they  fell  and  rolled  over 
together ;  but  when  Theseus  rose  up  from  the  ground,  the 
club-bearer  lay  still  at  his  feet. 

Then  Theseus  took  his  club  and  his  bear-skin,  and  left 
him  to  the  kites  and  crows,  and  went  upon  his  journey 
down  the  glens  on  the  further  slope,  till  he  came  to  a 
broad  green  valley,  and  saw  flocks  and  herds  sleeping  be- 
neath the  trees.  / 

And  by  the  side  of  a  pleasant  fountain,  under  the  shade 
of  rocks  and  trees,  were  nymphs  and  shepherds  dancing  ; 
but  no  one  piped  to  them  while  they  danced. 

And  when  they  saw  Theseus  they  shrieked  ;  and  the 
shepherds  ran  off,  and  drove  away  their  flocks  ;  while 
the  nymphs  dived  into  the  fountain  like  coots,  and  van- 
ished. 

Theseus  wondered  and  laughed  :  "  What  strange  fancies 
have  folks  here  who  run  away  from  strangers,  and  have  no 
music  when  they  dance  !  "  But  he  was  tired,  and  dusty, 
and  thirsty ;  so  he  thought  no  more  of  them,  but  drank 
and  bathed  in  the  clear  pool,  and  then  lay  down  in  the 
shade  under  a  plane-tree,  while  the  water  sang  him  to 
sleep  as  it  tinkled  down  from   stone  to  stone. 

And  when  he  woke  he  heard  a  whispering,  and  saw  the 
nymphs  peeping  at  him  across  the  fountain  from  the  dark 
mouth  of  a  cave,  where  they  sat  on  green  cushions  of 
moss.  And  one  said,  "  Surely  he  is  not  Periphetes  "  ;  and 
another,  "  He  looks  like  no  robber,  but  a  fair  and  gentle 
youth." 


1 34  THESEUS. 

Then  Theseus  smiled,  and  called  them  :  "Fair  nymphs, 
I  am  not  Periphetes.  He  sleeps  among  the  kites  and  crows  : 
but  I  have  brought  away  his  bear-skin  and  his  club." 

Then  they  leapt  across  the  pool,  and  came  to  him,  and 
called  the  shepherds  back.  And  he  told  them  how  he  had 
slain  the  club-bearer  :  and  the  shepherds  kissed  his  feet, 
and  sang,  "  Now  we  shall  feed  our  flocks  in  peace,  and  not 
be  afraid  to  have  music  when  we  dance  ;  for  the  cruel 
club-bearer  has  met  his  match,  and  he  will  listen  for  our 
pipes  no  more." 

Then  they  brought  him  kid's  flesh  and  wine,  and  the 
nymphs  brought  him  honey  from  the  rocks  ;  and  he  ate, 
and  drank,  and  slept  again,  while  the  nymphs  and  shep- 
herds danced  and  sang.  And  when  he  woke,  they  begged 
him  to  stay  ;  but  he  would  not.  "  I  have  a  great  work  to 
do,"  he  said  ;  "  I  must  be  away  toward  the  Isthmus,  that  I 
may  go  to  Athens." 

But  the  shepherds  said,  "  Will  you  go  alone  toward 
Athens  ?  None  travel  that  way  now,  except  in  armed 
troops." 

"  As  for  arms,  I  have  enough,  as  you  see.  And  as  for 
troops,  an  honest  man  is  good  enough  company  for  him- 
self.    Why  should  I  not  go  alone  toward  Athens  ?  " 

"  If  you  do,  you  must  look  warily  about  you  on  the  Isth- 
mus, lest  you  meet  Sinis  the  robber,  whom  men  call 
Pityocamptes  the  pine-bender 2 ;  for  he  bends  down  two 
pine-trees,  and  binds  all  travellers  hand  and  foot  between 
them  ;  and  when  he  lets  the  trees  go  again,  their  bodies 
are  torn  in  sunder." 

"  And  after  that,"  said  another,  "you  must  go  inland, 
and  not  dare  to  pass  over  the  cliffs  of  Sciron  ;  for  on  the 
left  hand  are  the  mountains,  and  on  the  right  the  sea,  so 

1  Translation  of  the  Greek  name  Pityocamptes. 


THESEUS.  135 

that  you  have  no  escape,  but  must  needs  meet  Sciron  the 
robber,  who  will  make  you  wash  his  feet ;  and  while  you 
are  washing  them,  he  will  kick  you  over  the  cliff,  to  the 
tortoise  who  lives  below,  and  feeds  upon  the  bodies  of  the 
dead." 

And  before  Theseus  could  answer,  another  cried,  "  And 
after  that  is  a  worse  danger  still,  unless  you  go  inland 
always,  and  leave  Eleusis  far  on  your  right.  For  in 
Eleusis  rules  Cercyon  the  cruel  king,  the  terror  of  all 
mortals,  who  killed  his  own  daughter  Alope  in  prison. 
But  she  was  changed  into  a  fair  fountain  ;  and  her  child 
he  cast  out  upon  the  mountains,  but  the  wild  mares  gave 
it  milk.  And  now  he  challenges  all  comers  to  wrestle 
with  him,  for  he  is  the  best  wrestler  in  all  Attica,  and 
overthrows  all  who  come  ;  and  those  whom  he  overthrows 
he  murders  miserably,  and  his  palace-court  is  full  of  their 
bones." 

Then  Theseus  frowned,  and  said,  "  This  seems  indeed 
an  ill-ruled  land,  and  adventures  enough  in  it  to  be  tried. 
But  if  I  am  the  heir  of  it,  I  will  rule  it  and  right  it,  and 
here  is  my  royal  sceptre."  And  he  shook  his  club  of 
bronze,  while  the  nymphs  and  shepherds  clung  round  him, 
and  entreated  him  not  to  go. 

But  on  he  went,  nevertheless,  till  he  could  see  both  the 
seas,  and  the  citadel  of  Corinth  towering  high  above  all 
the  land.  And  he  past  swiftly  along  the  Isthmus,  for  his 
heart  burned  to  meet  that  cruel  Sinis ;  and  in  a  pine-wood 
at  last  he  met  him,  where  the  Isthmus  was  narrowest  and 
the  road  ran  between  high  rocks.  There  he  sat,  upon  a 
stone  by  the  wayside,  with  a  young  fir-tree  for  a  club 
across  his  knees,  and  a  cord  laid  ready  by  his  side;  and 
over  his  head,  upon  the  fir-tops,  hung  the  bones  of  mur- 
dered men. 


J  36  THESEUS. 

Then  Theseus  shouted  to  him,  "  Holla,  thou  valiant 
pine-bender,  hast  thou  two  fir-trees  left  for  me  ? " 

And  Sinis  leapt  to  his  feet,  and  answered,  pointing  to 
'the  bones  above  his  head,  "  My  larder  has  grown  empty 
lately,  so  I  have  two  fir-trees  ready  for  thee."  And  he 
rushed  on  Theseus,  lifting  his  club,  and  Theseus  rushed 
upon  him. 

Then  they  hammered  together  till  the  greenwoods 
rang :  but  the  metal  was  tougher  than  the  pine ;  and 
Sinis's  club  broke  right  across,  as  the  bronze  came  down 
upon  it.  Then  Theseus  heaved  up  another  mighty  stroke, 
and  smote  Sinis  down  upon  his  face,  and  knelt  upon  his 
back,  and  bound  him  with  his  own  cord,  and  said,  "As 
thou  hast  done  to  others,  so  shall  it  be  done  to  thee." 
Then  he  bent  down  two  young  fir-trees,  and  bound  Sinis 
between  them,  for  all  his  struggling  and  his  prayers,  and 
let  them  go,  and  ended  Sinis,  and  went  on,  leaving  him  to 
the  hawks  and  crows. 

Then  he  went  over  the  hills  toward  Megara,  keeping 
close  along  the  Saronic  Sea,  till  he  came  to  the  cliffs  of 
Sciron,  and  the  narrow  path  between  the  mountain  and 
the  sea. 

And  there  he  saw  Sciron  sitting  by  a  fountain,  at  the 
edge  of  the  cliff.  On  his  knees  was  a  mighty  club ;  and 
he  had  barred  the  path  with  stones,  so  that  every  one 
must  stop  who  came  up. 

Then  Theseus  shouted  to  him,  and  said,  "  Holla,  thou 
tortoise-feeder,  do  thy  feet  need  washing  to-day  ? " 

And  Sciron  leapt  to  his  feet  and  answered,  — 

"  My  tortoise  is  empty  and  hungry,  and  my  feet  need 
washing  to-day."  And  he  stood  before  his  barrier,  and 
lifted  up  his  club  in  both  hands. 

Then  Theseus  rushed  upon  him,  and  sore  was  the  battle 


THESEUS.  137 

upon  the  cliff ;  for  when  Sciron  felt  the  weight  of  the 
bronze  club,  he  dropt  his  own,  and  closed  with  Theseus, 
and  tried  to  hurl  him  by  main  force  over  the  cliff.  But 
Theseus  was  a  wary  wrestler,  and  dropt  his  own  club,  and 
caught  him  by  the  throat  and  by  the  knee,  and  forced  him 
back  against  the  wall  of  stones,  and  crushed  him  up 
against  them  till  his  breath  was  almost  gone.  And  Sciron 
cried,  panting,  "  Loose  me,  and  I  will  let  thee  pass."  But 
Theseus  answered,  "  I  must  not  pass  till  I  have  made  the 
rough  way  smooth  "  ;  and  he  forced  him  back  against  the 
wall  till  it  fell,  and  Sciron  rolled  head  over  heels. 

Then  Theseus  lifted  him  up  all  bruised,  and  said, 
"  Come  hither  and  wash  my  feet."  And  he  drew  his 
sword,  and  sat  down  by  the  well,  and  said,  "  Wash  my 
feet,  or  I  cut  you  piecemeal." 

And  Sciron  washed  his  feet  trembling ;  and  when  it 
was  done,  Theseus  rose  and  cried,  aAs  thou  hast  done  to 
others,  so  shall  it  be  done  to  thee.  Go  feed  thy  tortoise 
thyself"  ;  and  he  kicked  him  over  the  cliff  into  the  sea. 

And  whether  the  tortoise  ate  him  I  know  not ;  for  some 
say  that  earth  and  sea  both  disdained  to  take  his  body,  so 
foul  it  was  with  sin.  So  the  sea  cast  it  out  upon  the 
shore,  and  the  shore  cast  it  back  into  the  sea,  and  at  last 
the  waves  hurled  it  high  into  the  air  in  anger ;  and  it  hung 
there  long  without  a  grave,  till  it  was  changed  into  a  deso- 
late rock,  which  stands  there  in  the  surge  until  this  day. 

This  at  least  is  true,  which  Pausanias  1  tells,  that  in  the 
royal  porch  at  Athens  he  saw  the  figure  of  Theseus  mod- 
elled in  clay,  and  by  him  Sciron  the  robber,  falling  head- 
long into  the  sea. 

1  A  celebrated  traveller  and  geographer  of  the  second  century,  A.D.,  who 
wrote  a  minute  account  of  the  places  and  objects  of  interest  which  he  visited 
in  Greece. 


138  THESEUS. 

Then  he  went  a  long  day's  journey,  past  Megara,  into 
the  Attic  land,  and  high  before  him  rose  the  snow-peaks 
of  Cithaeron,  all  cold  above  the  black  pine-woods,  where 
lfaunt  the  Furies,1  and  the  raving  Bacchae,2  and  the 
nymphs  who  drive  men  wild,  far  aloft  upon  the  dreary 
mountains,  where  the  storms  howl  all  day  long.  And  on 
his  right  hand  was  the  sea  always,  and  Salamis,  with  its 
island  cliffs,  and  the  sacred  strait  of  the  sea-fight,3  where 
afterwards  the  Persians  fled  before  the  Greeks,  So  he 
went  all  day  until  the  evening,  till  he  saw  the  Thriasian 
plain,  and  the  sacred  city  of  Eleusis,  where  the  Earth- 
mother's  Temple  stands.  For  there  she  met  Triptolemus, 
when  all  the  land  lay  waste,  Demeter4  the  kind  Earth- 
mother,  and  in  her  hands  a  sheaf  of  corn.  And  she 
taught  him  to  plough  the  fallows,  and  to  yoke  the  lazy 
kine  ;  and  she  taught  him  to  sow  the  seed-fields,  and  to 
reap  the  golden  grain  ;  and  sent  him  forth  to  teach  all 
nations,  and  give  corn  to  laboring  men.  So  at  Eleusis  all 
men  honor  her,  whosoever  tills  the  land  ;  her  and  Triptol- 
emus her  beloved,  who  gave  corn  to  laboring  men. 

And  he  went  along  the  plain  into  Eleusis,  and  stood  in 
the  market-place,  and  cried,  — 

"  Where  is  Cercyon  the  king  of  the  city  ?  I  must 
wrestle  a  fall  with  him  to-day." 

Then  all  the  people  crowded  round  him,  and  cried, 
"  Fair  youth,  why  will  you  die  ?  Hasten  out  of  the  city 
before  the  cruel  king  hears  that  a  stranger  is  here." 

But  Theseus  went  up  through  the  town,  while  the  peo- 

1  Same  as  the  Erinyes ;  see  foot-note,  p.  71. 

2  Female  devotees  of  Bacchus  (Dionysus) . 

3  The  naval  battle  of  Salamis,  in  which  the  Greeks  defeated  the  fleet  of  the 
Persian  king  Xerxes,  occurred  in  480  B.C. 

4  See  the  "  Descriptive  Table  of  Greek  Divinities,"  p.  vi. 


THESEUS.  1 39 

pie  wept  and  prayed,  and  through  the  gates  of  the  palace 
yard,  and  through  the  piles  of  bones  and  skulls,  till  he 
came  to  the  door  of  Cercyon's  hall,  the  terror  of  all  mortal 
men. 

And  there  he  saw  Cercyon  sitting  at  the  tabic  in  the 
hall  alone  ;  and  before  him  was  a  whole  sheep  roasted, 
and  beside  him  a  whole  jar  of  wine.  And  Theseus  stood 
and  called  him,  "  Holla,  thou  valiant  wrestler,  wilt  thou 
wrestle  a  fall  to-day  ?  " 

And  Cercyon  looked  up  and  laughed,  and  answered,  "  I 
will  wrestle  a  fall  to-day  ;  but  come  in,  for  I  am  lonely 
and  thou  weary,  and  eat  and  drink  before  thou  die." 

Then  Theseus  went  up  boldly,  and  sat  down  before 
Cercyon  at  the  board,  and  he  ate  his  fill  of  the  sheep's 
flesh,  and  drank  his  fill  of  the  wine  ;  and  Theseus  ate 
enough  for  three  men,  but  Cercyon  ate  enough  for  seven. 

But  neither  spoke  a  word  to  the  other,  though  they 
looked  across  the  table  by  stealth  ;  and  each  said  in  his 
heart,  "He  has  broad  shoulders,  but  I  trust  mine  are  as 
broad  as  his." 

At  last,  when  the  sheep  was  eaten,  and  the  jar  of  wine 
drained  dry,  King  Cercyon  rose,  and  cried,  "  Let  us  wrestle 
a  fall  before  we  sleep." 

So  they  tossed  off  all  their  garments,  and  went  forth 
into  the  palace-yard,  and  Cercyon  bade  strew  fresh  sand 
in  an  open  space  between  the  bones.  And  there  the 
heroes  stood  face  to  face,  while  their  eyes  glared  like 
wild  bulls'  ;  and  all  the  people  crowded  at  the  gates  to 
see  what  would  befall. 

And  there  they  stood  and  wrestled  till  the  stars  shone 
out  above  their  heads  ;  up  and  down  and  round,  till  the 
sand  was  stamped  hard  beneath  their  feet.  •  And  their 
eyes  flashed  like  stars  in  the  darkness,  and  their  breath 


140  THESEUS. 

* 
went   up   like   smoke   in   the  night  air ;  but  neither  took 

nor   gave   a   footstep,   and   the    people   watched   silent   at 

the  gates. 

k  But   at   last   Cercyon   grew  angry  and   caught  Theseus 

round  the  neck,  and  shook  him  as  a  mastiff  shakes  a  rat, 

but  he  could  not  shake  him  off  his  feet. 

But  Theseus  was  quick  and  wary,  and  clasped  Cercyon 
round  the  waist,  and  slipped  his  loin  quickly  underneath 
him,  while  he  caught  him  by  the  wrist  ;  and  then  he  hove 
a  mighty  heave,  a  heave  which  would  have  stirred  an  oak, 
and  lifted  Cercyon,  and  pitched  him  right  over  his  shoul- 
der on  the  ground. 

Then  he  leapt  on  him,  and  called,  "  Yield,  or  I  kill 
thee  !  "  but  Cercyon  said  no  word,  for  his  heart  was  burst 
within  him,  with  the  fall,  and  the  meat,  and  the  wine. 

Then  Theseus  opened  the  gates,  and  called  in  all  the 
people  ;  and  they  cried,  "  You  have  slain  our  evil  king  ; 
be  you  now  our  king,  and  rule  us  well." 

"  I  will  be  your  king*  in  Eleusis,  and  I  will  rule  you 
right  and  well  ;  for  this  cause  I  have  slain  all  evil-doers, 
Sinis,  and  Sciron,  and  this  man  last  of  all." 

Then  an  aged  man  stept  forth,  and  said,  "  Young  hero, 
hast  thou  slain  Sinis  ?  Beware  then  of  yEgeus,  king 
of  Athens,  to  whom  thou  goest,  for  he  is  near  of  kin  to 
Sinis." 

"Then  I  have  slain  my  own  kinsman,"  said  Theseus, 
"  though  well  he  deserved  to  die.  Who  will  purge  me 
from  his  death,  for  rightfully  I  slew  him,  unrighteous  and 
as  he  was  ?  " 

And  the  old  man  answered,  — 

"  That  will  the  heroes  do,  the  sons   of   Phytalus,1  who 

1  An  Eleusiriian  hero  who  had  been  honored  by  Demeter  for  having  kindly 
received  the  goddess  in  her  wanderings. 


THESEUS.  T41 

dwell  beneath  the  elm-tree  in  Aphidnae,  by  the  bank  of 
silver  Cephisus,  for  they  know  the  mysteries  of  the  gods. 
Thither  you  shall  go  and  be  purified,  and  after  you  shall 
be  our  king." 

So  he  took  an  oath  of  the  people  of  Eleusis,  that  they 
would  serve  him  as  their  king,  and  went  away  next  morn- 
ing across  the  Thriasian  plain,  and  over  the  hills  toward 
Aphidnae,  that  he  might  find  the  sons  of  Phytalus. 

And  as  he  was  skirting  the  Vale  of  Cephisus,  along  the 
foot  of  lofty  Parnes,  a  very  tall  and  strong  man  came  down 
to  meet  him,  dressed  in  rich  garments.  On  his  arms  were 
golden  bracelets,  and  round  his  neck  a  collar  of  jewels  ; 
and  he  came  forward,  bowing  courteously,  and  held  out 
both  his  hands,  and  spoke,  — 

''Welcome,  fair  youth,  to  these  mountains;  happy  am 
I  to  have  met  you  !  For  what  greater  pleasure  to  a  good 
man  than  to  entertain  strangers  ?  But  I  see  that  you  are 
weary.     Come  up  to  my  castle,  and  rest  yourself  awhile." 

"  I  give  you  thanks,"  said  Theseus  ;  "  but  I  am  in  haste 
to  go  up  the  valley,  and  to  reach  Aphidnae,  in  the  Vale  of 
Cephisus." 

"  Alas  !  you  have  wandered  far  from  the  right  way,  and 
you  cannot  reach  Aphidnae  to-night  ;  for  there  are  many 
miles  of  mountain  between  you  and  it,  and  steep  passes, 
and  cliffs  dangerous  after  nightfall.  It  is  well  for  you 
that  I  met  you  ;  for  my  whole  joy  is  to  find  strangers, 
and  to  feast  them  at  my  castle,  and  hear  tales  from  them 
of  foreign  lands.  Come  up  with  me,  and  eat  the  best  of 
venison,  and  drink  the  rich  red  wine  ;  and  sleep  upon  my 
famous  bed,  of  which  all  travellers  say  that  they  never 
saw  the  like.  For  whatsoever  the  stature  of  my  guest, 
however  tall  or  short,  that  bed  fits  him  to  a  hair,  and  he 
sleeps  on  it  as  he  never  slept  before."  And  he  laid  hold 
pn  Theseus's  hands,  and  would  not  let  him  go. 


142  THESEUS. 

Theseus  wished  to  go  forwards,  but  he  was  ashamed  to 
seem  churlish  to  so  hospitable  a  man  ;  and  he  was  curious 
to  see  that  wondrous  bed  ;  and,  beside,  he  was  hungry  and 
(  weary  ;  yet  he  shrank  from  the  man,  he  knew  not  why  ; 
for  though  his  voice  was  gentle  and  fawning,  it  was  dry 
and  husky  like  a  toad's  ;  and  though  his  eyes  were  gentle, 
they  were  dull  and  cold  like  stones.  But  he  consented, 
and  went  with  the  man  up  a  glen  which  led  from  the  road 
toward  the  peaks  of  Parnes,  under  the  dark  shadow  of  the 
cliffs. 

And  as  they  went  up,  the  glen  grew  narrower,  and  the 
cliffs  higher  and  darker,  and  beneath  them  a  torrent 
roared,  half-seen  between  bare  limestone  crags.  And 
around  them  was  neither  tree  nor  bush,  while  from  the 
white  peaks  of  Parnes  the  snow-blasts  swept  down  the 
glen,  cutting  and  chilling,  till  a  horror  fell  on  Theseus, 
as  he  looked  round  at  that  doleful  place.  And  he  asked 
at  last,  "Your  castle  stands,  it  seems,  in  a  dreary  region." 

"Yes,  but  once  within  it,  hospitality  makes  all  things 
cheerful.  But  who  are  these?"  and  he  looked  back,  and 
Theseus  also  ;  and  far  below,  along  the  road  which  they 
had  left,  came  a  string  of  laden  asses,  and  merchants 
walking  by  them,  watching  their  ware. 

"Ah,  poor  souls!"  said  the  stranger;  "well  for  them 
that  I  looked  back  and  saw  them  !  And  well  for  me,  too, 
for  I  shall  have  the  more  guests  at  my  feast.  Wait  awhile 
till  I  go  down  and  call  them,  and  we  will  eat  and  drink 
together  the  livelong  night.  Happy  am  I,  to  whom 
Heaven  sends  so  many  guests  at  once  !  " 

And  he  ran  back  down  the  hill,  waving  his  hand  and 
shouting  to  the  merchants,  while  Theseus  went  slowly  up 
the  steep  path. 

But  as  he  went  up  he  met  an  aged  man,  who  had  been 


THESEUS.  143 

gathering  drift-wood  in  the  torrent-bed.  He  had  laid 
down  his  fagot  in  the  road,  and  was  trying  to  lift  it  again 
to  his  shoulder.  And  when  he  saw  Theseus,  he  ealled  to 
him,  and  said,  — 

"  O  fair  youth,  help  me  up  with  my  burden  ;  for  my 
limbs  are  stiff  and   weak  with  years." 

Then  Theseus  lifted  the  burden  on  his  back.  And  the 
old  man  blest  him,  and  then  looked  earnestly  upon  him, 
and  said,  — 

"Who  are  you,  fair  youth,  and  wherefore  travel  you  this 
doleful  road  ?  " 

"  Who  I  am  my  parents  know  :  but  I  travel  this  doleful 
road  because  I  have  been  invited  by  a  hospitable  man, 
who  promises  to  feast  me,  and  to  make  me  sleep  upon  I 
know  not  what  wondrous  bed." 

Then  the  old  man  clapped  his  hands  together,  and 
cried,  — 

"  O  house  of  Hades,  man-devouring  !  will  thy  maw  never 
be  full  ?  Know,  fair  youth,  that  you  are  going  to  torment 
and  to  death  ;  for  he  who  met  you  (I  will  requite  your 
kindness  by  another)  is  a  robber  and  a  murderer  of  men. 
Whatsoever  stranger  he  meets  he  entices  him  hither  to 
death  ;  and  as  for  this  bed  of  which  he  speaks,  truly  it  fits 
all  comers,  yet  none  ever  rose  alive  off  it  save  me." 

"Why?"  asked  Theseus,  astonished. 

"Because,  if  a  man  be  too  tall  for  it,  he  lops  his  limbs 
till  they  be  short  enough,  and  if  he  be  too  short,  he 
stretches  his  limbs  till  they  be  long  enough  :  but  me  only 
he  spared,  seven  weary  years  agone  ;  for  I  alone  of  all 
fitted  his  bed  exactly  ;  so  he  sj^ared  me,  and  made  me  his 
slave.  And  once  I  was  a  wealthy  merchant,  and  dwelt  in 
brazen-gated  Thebes ;  but  now  I  hew  wood  and  draw 
water  for  him,  the  torment  of  all  mortal  men," 


144  THESEUS. 

Then  Theseus  said  nothing,  but  he  ground  his  teeth 
together. 

"  Escape  then,"  said  the  old  man,  "  for  he  will  have  no 
£>ity  on  thy  youth.  But  yesterday  he  brought  up  hither  a 
young  man  and  a  maiden,  and  fitted  them  upon  his  bed  : 
and  the  young  man's  hands  and  feet  he  cut  off ;  but  the 
maiden's  limbs  he  stretched  until  she  died,  and  so  both 
perished  miserably  —  but  I  am  tired  of  weeping  over  the 
slain.  And  therefore  he  is  called  Procrustes  the  stretcher,1 
though  his  father  called  him  Damastes.  Flee  from  him  : 
yet  whither  will  you  flee  ?  The  cliffs  are  steep,  and  who 
can  climb  them?  and  there  is  no  other  road." 

But  Theseus  laid  his  hand  upon  the  old  man's  mouth, 
and  said,  "  There  is  no  need  to  flee  "  ;  and  he  turned  to 
go  down  the  pass. 

"  Do  not  tell  him  that  I  have  warned  you,  or  he  will 
kill  me  by  some  evil  death  "  ;  and  the  old  man  screamed 
after  him  down  the  glen,  but  Theseus  strode  on  in  his 
wrath. 

And  he  said  to  himself,  "  This  is  an  ill-ruled  land  ;  when 
shall  I  have  done  ridding  it  of  monsters  ?  "  And  as  he 
spoke,  Procrustes  came  up  the  hill,  and  all  the  merchants 
with  him,  smiling  and  talking  gayly.  And  when  he  saw 
Theseus,  he  cried,  "Ah,  fair  young  guest,  have  I  kept  you 
too  long  waiting  ?  " 

But  Theseus  answered,  "  The  man  who  stretches  his 
guests  upon  a  bed,  and  hews  off  their  hands  and  feet,  what 
shall  be  done  to  him,  when  right  is  done  throughout  the 
land  ?  " 

Then  Procrustes's  countenance  changed,  and  his  cheeks 
grew  as  green  as  a  lizard,  and  he  felt  for  his  sword  in 
haste  ;  but  Theseus  leapt  on  him,  and  cried,  — 

1  Translation  of  the  Greek  name  Procrustes, 


THESEUS.  145 

"  Is  this  true,  my  host,  or  is  it  false  ?  "  and  he  clasped 
Procrustes  round  waist  and  elbow,  so  that  he  could  not 
draw  his  sword. 

"  Is  this  true,  my  host,  or  is  it  false  ?  "  But  Procrustes 
answered  never  a  word. 

Then  Theseus  flung  him  from  him,  and  lifted  up  his 
dreadful  club ;  and,  before  Procrustes  could  strike  him,  he 
had  struck,  and  felled  him  to  the  ground. 

And  once  again  he  struck  him ;  and  his  evil  soul  fled 
forth,  and  went  down  to  Hades  squeaking,  like  a  bat  into 
the  darkness  of  a  cave. 

Then  Theseus  stript  him  of  his  gold  ornaments,  and 
went  up  to  his  house,  and  found  there  great  wealth  and 
treasure,  which  he  had  stolen  from  the  passers  by.  And 
he  called  the  people  of  the  country,  whom  Procrustes  had 
spoiled  a  long  time,  and  parted  the  spoil  among  them,  and 
went  down  the  mountains,  and  away. 

And  he  went  down  the  glens  of  Parnes,  through  mist, 
and  cloud,  and  rain,  down  the  slopes  of  oak,  and  lentisk, 
and  arbutus,  and  fragrant  bay,  till  he  came  to  the  Vale  of 
Cephisus,  and  the  pleasant  town  of  Aphidnae,  and  the 
home  of  the  Phytalid 1  heroes,  where  they  dwelt  beneath 
a  mighty  elm. 

And  there  they  built  an  altar,  and  bade  him  bathe  in 
Cephisus,  and  offer  a  yearling  ram,  and  purified  him  from 
the  blood  of  Sinis,  and  sent  him  away  in  peace. 

And  he  went  down  the  valley  by  Acharnae,  and  by  the 
silver-swirling  stream,  while  all  the  people  blessed  him  ; 
for  the  fame  of  his  prowess  had  spread  wide,  till  he  saw 
the  plain  of  Athens,  and  the  hill  where  Athene  dwells. 

So  Theseus  went  up  through  Athens,  and  all  the  people 
ran  out  to  see  him  ;  for  his  fame  had  gone  before  him,  and 

1  The  word  signifies  descended  from  Phytalns, 


1 46  THESEUS. 

every  one  knew  of  his  mighty  deeds.  And  all  cried,  "  Here 
comes  the  hero,  who  slew  Sinis,  and  Phaea  the  wild  sow  of 
Prommyon,  and  conquered  Cercyon  in  wrestling,  and  slew 
Procrustes  the  pitiless.  But  Theseus  went  on  sadly  and 
steadfastly,  for  his  heart  yearned  after  his  father ;  and  he 
said,  "  How  shall  I  deliver  him  from  these  leeches  who 
suck  his  blood  ?  " 

So  he  went  up  the  holy  stairs,  and  into  the  Acropolis,1 
where  ^Egeus's  palace  stood  ;  and  he  went  straight  into 
y'Egeus's  hall,  and  stood  upon  the  threshold,  and  looked 
round. 

And  there  he  saw  his  cousins  sitting  about  the  table,  at 
the  wine  ;  many  a  son  of  Pallas,2  but  no  /Egeus  among 
them.  There  they  sat  and  feasted,  and  laughed,  and 
passed  the  wine-cup  round  ;  while  harpers  harped,  and 
slave  girls  sang,  and  the  tumblers  showed  their  tricks. 

Loud  laughed  the  sons  of  Pallas,  and  fast  went  the 
wine-cup  round  ;  but  Theseus  frowned,  and  said  under  his 
breath,  "  No  wonder  that  the  land  is  full  of  robbers,  while 
such  as  these  bear  rule." 

Then  the  Pallantids  3  saw  him,  and  called  to  him,  half- 
drunk  with  wine,  "  Holla,  tall  stranger  at  the  door,  what 
is  your  will  to-day  ?  " 

"  I  come  hither  to  ask  for  hospitality." 

"  Then  take  it,  and  welcome.  You  look  like  a  hero  and 
a  bold  warrior,  and  we  like  such  to  drink  with  us." 

"  I  ask  no  hospitality  of  you  ;  I  ask  it  of  yEgeus  the 
king,  the  master  of  this  house." 

1  The  citadel  of  Athens.  It  is  a  steep,  rocky  hill,  rising  about  160  feet 
above  the  surrounding  plain,  and  having  a  flat  top  1,150  feet  long  and  nearly 
500  feet  broad.  On  the  acropolis  stood  the  Parthenon,  or  Temple  of  Athene, 
the  ruins  of  which  still  excite  the  admiration  of  travellers. 

2  A  brother  of  ^Egeus. 

3  The  name  signifies  the  sons  of  Pallas, 


THESEUS.  147 

At  that  some  growled,  and  some  laughed,  and  shouted, 
"  Heyday,  we  are  all  masters  here." 

"  Then  I  am  master  as  much  as  the  rest  of  you,"  said 
Theseus  ;  and  he  strode  past  the  table  up  the  hall,  and 
looked  around  for  ^Egeus,  but  he  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 

The  Pallantids  looked  at  him,  and  then  at  each  other, 
and  each  whispered  to  the  man  next  him,  "  This  is  a  for- 
ward fellow  ;  he  ought  to  be  thrust  out  at  the  door."  But 
each  man's  neighbor  whispered  in  return,  "  His  shoulders 
are  broad  ;  will  you  rise  and  put  him  out  ?  "  So  they  all 
sat  still  where  they  were. 

Then  Theseus  called  to  the  servants,  and  said,  "  Go  tell 
King  yEgeus,  your  master,  that  Theseus  of  Trcezene  is 
here,  and  asks  to  be  his  guest  awhile." 

A  servant  ran  and  told  y£geus,  where  he  sat  in  his 
chamber  within,  by  Medea  the  dark  witch-woman,  watch- 
ing her  eye  and  hand.  And  when  ^Egeus  heard  of  Trce- 
zene, he  turned  pale  and  red  again,  and  rose  from  his  seat 
trembling,  while  Medea  watched  him  like  a  snake. 

"  What  is  Trcezene  to  you  ?  "  she  asked.  But  he  said 
hastily,  "  Do  you  not  know  who  this  Theseus  is  ?  The 
hero  who  has  cleared  the  country  from  all  monsters  ;  but 
that  he  came  from  Trcezene,  I  never  heard  before.  I  must 
go  out  and  welcome  him." 

So  yKgeus  came  out  into  the  hall  ;  and  when  Theseus 
saw  him,  his  heart  leapt  into  his  mouth,  and  he  longed  to 
fall  on  his  neck  and  welcome  him  ;  but  he  controlled  him- 
self, and  said,  "  My  father  may  not  wish  for  me,  after  all. 
I  will  try  him  before  I  discover  myself  ;  "  and  he  bowed 
low  before  ^Egeus,  and  said,  "  I  have  delivered  the  king's 
realm  from  many  monsters  ;  therefore  I  am  come  to  ask  a 
reward  of  the  king." 

And  old  ^Egeus   looked  on  him,  and  loved  him,  —  as 


148  THESEUS. 

what  fond  heart  would   not  have    done  ?      But    he   only 
sighed,  and  said, — 

"  It  is  little  that  I  can  give  you,  noble  lad,  and  nothing 
that  is  worthy  of  you  ;  for  surely  you  are  no  mortal  man, 
or  at  least  no  mortal's  son." 

"All  that  I  ask,"  said  Theseus,  "is  to  eat  and  drink  at 
your  table." 

"That  I  can  give  you,"  said  ./Egeus,  "if  at  least  I  am 
master  in  my  own  hall." 

Then  he  bade  them  put  a  seat  for  Theseus,  and  set 
before  him  the  best  of  the  feast ;  and  Theseus  sat  and 
ate  so  much  that  all  the  company  wondered  at  him  ;  but 
always  he  kept  his  club  by  his  side. 

But  Medea,  the  dark  witch-woman,  had  been  watching 
him  all  the  while.  She  saw  how  yEgeus  turned  red  and 
pale  when  the  lad  said  that  he  came  from  Trcezene.  She 
saw,  too,  how  his  heart  was  opened  toward  Theseus  ;  and 
how  Theseus  bore  himself  before  all  the  sons  of  Pallas  like 
a  lion  among  a  pack  of  curs.  And  she  said  to  herself  : 
"This  youth  will  be  master  here  ;  perhaps  he  is  nearer  to 
yEgeus  already  than  mere  fancy.  At  least  the  Pallantids 
will  have  no  chance  by  the  side  of  such  as  he." 

Then  she  went  back  into  her  chamber,  modestly,  while 
Theseus  ate  and  drank ;  and  all  the  servants  whispered  : 
"This,  then,  is  the  man  who  killed  the  monsters!  How 
noble  are  his  looks,  and  how  huge  his  size !  Ah,  would 
that  he  were  our  master's  son  !  " 

But  presently  Medea  came  forth,  decked  in  all  her 
jewels  and  her  rich  Eastern  robes,  and  looking  more 
beautiful  than  the  day ;  so  that  all  the  guests  could  look 
at  nothing  else.  And  in  her  right  hand  she  held  a  golden 
cup,  and  in  her  left  a  flask  of  gold  ;  and  she  came  up  to 
Theseus,  and  spoke  in  a  sweet,  soft,  winning  voice,  — 


THESEUS.  149 

"  Hail  to  the  hero,  the  conqueror,  the  unconquered,  the 
destroyer  of  all  evil  things  !  Drink,  hero,  of  my  charmed 
cup,  which  gives  rest  after  every  toil,  which  heals  all 
wounds,  and  pours  new  life  into  the  veins.  Drink  of 
my  cup ;  for  in  it  sparkles  the  wine  of  the  East,  and 
Nepenthe,  the  comfort  of  the  Immortals." 

And  as  she  spoke,  she  poured  the  flask  into  the  cup  ; 
and  the  fragrance  of  the  wine  spread  through  the  hall, 
like  the  scent  of  thyme  and  roses. 

And  Theseus  looked  up  in  her  fair  face,  and  into  her 
deep  dark  eyes.  And  as  he  looked,  he  shrank  and  shud- 
dered ;  for  they  were  dry,  like  the  eyes  of  a  snake.  And 
he  rose,  and  said,  "  The  wine  is  rich  and  fragrant,  and  the 
wine-bearer  as  fair  as  the  Immortals  ;  but  let  her  pledge 
me  first  herself  in  the  cup,  that  the  wine  may  be  the 
sweeter  from  her  lips." 

Then  Medea  turned  pale,  and  stammered,  "  Forgive  me, 
fair  hero  ;  but  I  am  ill,  and  dare  drink  no  wine." 

And  Theseus  looked  again  into  her  eyes,  and  cried, 
"  Thou  shalt  pledge  me  in  that  cup,  or  die."  And  he 
lifted  up  his  brazen  club,  while  all  the  guests  looked  on 
aghast. 

Medea  shrieked  a  fearful  shriek,  and  dashed  the  cup  to 
the  ground,  and  fled  ;  and  where  the  wine  flowed  over  the 
marble  pavement  the  stone  bubbled,  and  crumbled,  and 
hissed,  under  the  fierce  venom  of  the  draught. 

But  Medea  called  her  dragon  chariot,  and  sprang  into 
it  and  fled  aloft,  away  over  land  and  sea ;  and  no  man  saw 
her  more. 

And  ^Egeus  cried,  "  What  hast  thou  done  ?  "  But 
Theseus  pointed  to  the  stone,  —  "I  have  rid  the  land 
of  an  enchantment  :    now  I  will  rid  it  of  one  more." 

And  he  came  close  to  /Egeus,  and  drew  from  his  bosom 


ISO  THESEUS. 

the  sword  and  the  sandals,  and  said  the  words  which  his 
mother  bade  him. 

And  iEgeus  stepped  back  a  pace,  and  looked  at  the  lad 
till  his  eyes  grew  dim  ;  and  then  he  cast  himself  on  his 
neck,  and  wept ;  and  Theseus  wept  on  his  neck,  till  they 
had  no  strength  left  to  weep  more. 

Then  yEgeus  turned  to  all  the  people,  and  cried,  "  Behold 
my  son,  children  of  Cecrops,  —  a  better  man  than  his  father 
was  before  him." 

Who  then  were  mad  but  the  Pallantids,  though  they  had 
been  mad  enough  before  ?  And  one  shouted,  "  Shall  we 
make  room  for  an  upstart,  a  pretender,  who  comes  from 
we  know  not  where  ?  "  And  another,  "  If  he  be  one,  we 
are  more  than  one ;  and  the  stronger  can  hold  his  own." 
And  one  shouted  one  thing,  and  one  another,  for  they  were 
hot  and  wild  with  wine;  but  all  caught  swords  and  lances 
off  the  wall,  where  the  weapons  hung  around,  and  sprang 
forward  to  Theseus ;  and  Theseus  sprang  forward  to 
them. 

And  he  cried,  "  Go  in  peace,  if  you  will,  my  cousins  ; 
but  if  not,  your  blood  be  on  your  own  heads."  But  they 
rushed  at  him  ;  and  then  stopped  short,  and  railed  him,  as 
curs  stop  and  bark  when  they  rouse  a  lion  from  his  lair. 

But  one  hurled  a  lance  from  the  rear  rank,  which  past 
close  by  Theseus's  head  ;  and  at  that  Theseus  rushed  for- 
ward, and  the  fight  began  indeed.  Twenty  against  one 
they  fought,  and  yet  Theseus  beat  them  all ;  and  those 
who  were  left  fled  down  into  the  town,  where  the  people 
set  on  them  and  drove  them  out,  till  Theseus  was  left 
alone  in  the  palace  with  ^Egeus,  his  new-found  father. 
But  before  nightfall  all  the  town  came  up,  with  victims, 
and  dances,  and  songs ;  and  they  offered  sacrifices  to 
Athene,  and  rejoiced   all   the   night   long,  because   their 


THESEUS.  1 5  I 

king  had  found  a  noble  son,  and  an  heir  to  his  royal 
house. 

So  Theseus  stayed  with  his  father  all  the  winter  ;  and 
when  the  spring  equinox  drew  near,  all  the  Athenians 
grew  sad  and  silent ;  and  Theseus  saw  it,  and  asked  the 
reason,  but  no  one  would  answer  him  a  word. 

Then  he  went  to  his  father,  and  asked  him  ;  but  ^Egeus 
turned  away  his  face  and  wept. 

"  Do  not  ask,  my  son,  beforehand,  about  evils  which 
must  happen  ;  it  is  enough  to  have  to  face  them  when 
they  come." 

And  when  the  spring  equinox  came,  a  herald  came  to 
Athens,  and  stood  in  the  market,  and  cried,  "  O  people 
and  King  of  Athens,  where  is  your  yearly  tribute  ?  "  Then 
a  great  lamentation  arose  throughout  the  city.  But  The- 
seus stood  up  to  the  herald,  and  cried,  — 

"And  who  are  you,  dog-faced,  who  dare  demand  tribute 
here  ?  If  I  did  not  reverence  your  herald's  staff,  I  would 
brain  you  with  this  club." 

And  the  herald  answered  proudly,  for  he  was  a  grave 
and  ancient  man,  — 

"  Fair  youth,  I  am  not  dog-faced  or  shameless  ;  but  I  do 
my  master's  bidding,  Minos  the  King  of  hundred-citied 
Crete,  the  wisest  of  all  kings  on  earth.  And  you  must  be 
surely  a  stranger  here,  or  you  would  know  why  I  come, 
and  that  I  come  by  right." 

"  I  am  a  stranger  here.     Tell  me,  then,  why  you  come." 

"To  fetch  the  tribute  which  King  /Egeus  promised  to 
Minos,  and  confirmed  his  promise  with  an  oath.  For 
Minos  conquered  all  this  land,  and  Megara  which  lies  to 
the  east,  when  he  came  hither  with  a  great  fleet  of  ships, 
enraged  about  the  murder  of  his  son.     For  his  son  Andro- 


152  THESEUS. 

geos  came  hither  to  the  Panathenaic1  games,  and  over- 
came all  the  Greeks  in  the  sports,  so  that  the  people  hon- 
ored him  as  a  hero.  But  when  ALgeus  saw  his  valor,  he 
envied  him,  and  feared  lest  he  should  join  the  sons  of 
Pallas,  and  take  away  the  sceptre  from  him.  So  he  plotted 
against  his  life,  and  slew  him  basely,  no  man  knows  how 
or  where.  Some  say  that  he  waylaid  him  by  CEnoe,  on 
the  road  which  goes  to  Thebes  ;  and  some  that  he  sent 
him  against  the  bull  of  Marathon,  that  the  beast  might 
kill  him.  But  yEgeus  says  that  the  young  men  killed 
him  from  envy,  because  he  had  conquered  them  in  the 
games.  So  Minos  came  hither  and  avenged  him,  and 
would  not  depart  till  this  land  had  promised  him  tribute, 
— -seven  youths  and  seven  maidens  every  year,  who  go  with 
me  in  a  black-sailed  ship  till  they  come  to  hundred-citied 
Crete." 

And  Theseus  ground  his  teeth  together,  and  said,  "  Wert 
thou  not  a  herald  I  would  kill  thee,  for  saying  such  things 
of  my  father  :  but  I  will  go  to  him,  and  know  the  truth." 
So  he  went  to  his  father,  and  asked  him  ;  but  he  turned 
away  his  head  and  wept,  and  said  :  "  Blood  was  shed  in 
the  land  unjustly,  and  by  blood  it  is  avenged.  Break  not 
my  heart  by  questions  ;  it  is  enough  to  endure  in  silence.'' 

Then  Theseus  groaned  inwardly,  and  said,  "  I  will  go 
myself  with  these  youths  and  maidens,  and  kill  Minos 
upon  his  royal  throne." 

But  ALgeus  shrieked,  and  cried  :  "  You  shall  not  go,  my 
son,  the  light  of  my  old  age,  to  whom  alone  I  look  to  rule 
this  people  after  I  am  dead  and  gone.  You  shall  not  go, 
to  die  horribly,  as  those  youths  and  maidens  die  ;  for  Minos 

1  The  Panathenaic  festival  was  celebrated  once  in  four  years  at  Athens  in 
honor  of  Athene,  as  protectress  of  the  city,  and  was  participated  in  by  the 
combined  population  of  Attica. 


THESEUS.  t$3 

thrusts  them  into  a  labyrinth  which  Daedalus  made  for  him 
among  the  rocks,  —  Daedalus  the  renegade,  the  accursed, 
the  pest  of  this  his  native  land.  From  that  labyrinth  no  one 
can  escape,  entangled  in  its  winding  ways,  before  they  meet 
the  Minotaur,1  the  monster  who  feeds  upon  the  flesh  of 
men.  There  he  devours  them  horribly,  and  they  never  see 
this  land  again." 

Then  Theseus  grew  red,  and  his  ears  tingled,  and  his 
heart  beat  loud  in  his  bosom.  And  he  stood  awhile  like 
a  tall  stone  pillar  on  the  cliffs  above  some  hero's  grave  ; 
and  at  last  he  spoke,  — 

"  Therefore  all  the  more  I  will  go  with  them,  and  slay 
the  accursed  beast.  Have  I  not  slain  all  evil-doers  and 
monsters,  that  I  might  free  this  land  ?  Where  are  Peri- 
phetes,  and  Sinis,  and  Cercyon,  and  Phaea  the  wild  sow  ? 
Where  are  the  fifty  sons  of  Pallas  ?  And  this  Minotaur 
shall  go  on  the  road  which  they  have  gone  ;  and  Minos 
himself,  if  he  dare  stay  me." 

"  But  how  will  you  slay  him,  my  son  ?  For  you  must 
leave  your  club  and  your  armor  behind,  and  be  cast  to  the 
monster  defenceless  and  naked  like  the  rest." 

And  Theseus  said:  "Are  there  no  stones  in  that  laby- 
rinth ?  and  have  I  not  fists  and  teeth  ?  Did  I  need  my 
club  to  kill  Cercyon,  the  terror  of  all  mortal  men  ?  " 

Then  Kerens  clung  to  his  knees,  but  he  would  not  hear : 
and  at  last  he  let  him  go,  weeping  bitterly,  and  said  only 
this  one  word,  — 

"Promise  me  but  this,  if  you  return  in  peace,  though 
that  may  hardly  be  :  take  down  the  black  sail  of  the  ship 
(for  I  shall  watch  for  it  all  day  upon  the  cliffs)  and  hoist 
instead  a  white  sail,  that  I  may  know  afar  off  that  you  are 
safe." 

1  A  monster,  half  man  and  half  bull. 


154  THESEUS. 

And  Theseus  promised,  and  went  out,  and  to  the  market- 
place where  the  herald  stood  while  they  drew  lots  for  the 
youths  and  maidens  who  were  to  sail  in  that  doleful  crew. 
And  the  people  stood  wailing  and  weeping,  as  the  lot  fell 
on  this  one  and  on  that ;  but  Theseus  strode  into  the  midst, 
and  cried,  — 

"  Here  is  a  youth  who  needs  no  lot.  I  myself  will  be 
one  of  the  seven." 

And  the  herald  asked  in  wonder,  "  Fair  youth,  know  you 
whither  you  are  going  ?  " 

And  Theseus  said :  "  1  know.  Let  us  go  down  to  the 
black-sailed  ship." 

So  they  went  down  to  the  black-sailed  ship,  —  seven 
maidens,  and  seven  youths,  and  Theseus  before  them  all, 
and  the  people  following  them  lamenting.  But  Theseus 
whispered  to  his  companions  :  "  Have  hope,  for  the  mon- 
ster is  not  immortal.  Where  are  Periphetes,  and  Sinis, 
and  Sciron,  and  all  whom  I  have  slain  ?  "  Then  their 
hearts  were  comforted  a  little  :  but  they  wept  as  they 
went  on  board  ;  and  the  cliffs  of  Sunium  rang,  and  all 
the  isles  of  the  yEgean  Sea,  with  the  voice  of  their 
lamentation,  as  they  sailed  on  toward  their  deaths  in 
Crete. 


THESEUS.  155 


PART    III. 

HOW  THESEUS  SLEW  THE  MINOTAUR. 

And  at  last  they  came  to  Crete,  and  to  Cnosus,  beneath 
the  peaks  of  Ida,  and  to  the  palace  of  Minos,  the  great 
king  to  whom  Zeus  himself  taught  laws.  So  he  was  the 
wisest  of  all  mortal  kings,  and  conquered  all  the  ^Egean 
isles  ;  and  his  ships  were  as  many  as  the  sea-gulls,  and  his 
palace  like  a  marble  hill.  And  he  sat  among  the  pillars 
of  the  hall,  upon  his  throne  of  beaten  gold,  and  around 
him  stood  the  speaking  statues  which  Daedalus  had  made 
by  his  skill.  For  Daedalus  was  the  most  cunning  of  all 
Athenians,  and  he  first  invented  the  plumb-line,  and  the 
auger,  and  glue,  and  many  a  tool  with  which  wood  is 
wrought.  And  he  first  set  up  masts  in  ships,  and  yards, 
and  his  son  made  sails  for  them.  But  Perdix,  his  nephew, 
excelled  him  ;  for  he  first  invented  the  saw  and  its  teeth, 
copying  it  from  the  backbone  of  a  fish  ;  and  invented, 
too,  the  chisel,  and  the  compasses,  and  the  potter's  wheel 
which  moulds  the  clay.  Therefore  Daedalus  envied  him, 
and  hurled  him  headlong  from  the  temple  of  Athene ;  but 
the  Goddess  pitied  him, — for  she  loves  the  wise,- — and 
changed  him  into  a  partridge,  which  flits  forever  about 
the  hills.  And  Daedalus  fled  to  Crete,  to  Minos,  and 
worked  for  him  many  a  year,  till  he  did  a  shameful 
deed,  at  which  the  sun  hid  his  face  on  high. 

Then  he  fled  from  the  anger  of  Minos,  —  he  and  Icarus, 
his  son,  having  made  themselves  wings  of  feathers,  and 
fixed  the  feathers  with  wax.      So  they  flew  over  the  sea 


I  $6  THESEUS. 

toward  Sicily  ;  but  Icarus  flew  too  near  the  sun,  and  the 
wax  of  his  wings  was  melted,  and  he  fell  into  the  Icarian 
Sea.  But  Daedalus  came  safe  to  Sicily,  and  there  wrought 
many  a  wondrous  work  :  for  he  made  for  King  Cocalus  a 
reservoir  from  which  a  great  river  watered  all  the  land, 
and  a  castle  and  a  treasury  on  a  mountain,  which  the 
giants  themselves  could  not  have  stormed  ;  and  in  Selinns 
he  took  the  steam  which  comes  up  from  the  fires  of  ^Etna 
and  made  of  it  a  warm  bath  of  vapor,  to  cure  the  pains  of 
mortal  men  ;  and  he  made  a  honeycomb  of  gold,  in  which 
the  bees  came  and  stored  their  honey  ;  and  in  Egypt  he 
made  the  fore-court  of  the  temple  of  Hephaestus,  in  Mem- 
phis, and  a  statue  of  himself  within  it,  and  many  another 
wondrous  work.  And  for  Minos  he  made  statues  which 
spoke  and  moved,  and  the  temple  of  Britomartis,1  and  the 
dancing-hall  of  Ariadne,  which  he  carved  of  fair  white 
stone.  And  in  Sardinia  he  worked  for  Iolaus2;  and  in 
many  a  land  beside,  wandering  up  and  down  forever  with 
his  cunning,  unlovely  and  accursed  by  men. 

But  Theseus  stood  before  Minos,  and  they  looked  each 
other  in  the  face.  And  Minos  bade  take  them  to  prison, 
and  cast  them  to  the  monster  one  by  one,  that  the  death 
of  Androgeos  might  be  avenged.     Then  Theseus  cried,  — 

"A  boon,  O  Minos.  Let  me  be  thrown  first  to  the 
beast.  For  I  came  hither  for  that  very  purpose,  of  my 
own  will,  and  not  by  lot." 

"Who  art  thou,  then,  brave  youth?" 

li\  am  the  son  of  him  whom  of  all  men  thou  hatest 
most,  ^Egeus  the  king  of  Athens,  and  I  am  come  here  to 
end  this  matter." 

1  A  Cretan  divinity  of  hunters  and  fishermen,  afterwards  identified  with 
Artemis  (Lat.  Diana). 

2  Nephew  and  faithful  attendant  of  Heracles. 


THESEUS.  157 

And  Minos  pondered  awhile,  looking  steadfastly  at  him, 
and  he  thought,  "  The  lad  means  to  atone  by  his  own 
death  for  his  father's  sin "  ;  and  he  answered  at  last 
mildly,  — 

"  Go  back  in  peace,  my  son.  It  is  a  pity  that  one  so 
brave  should  die." 

But  Theseus  said,  "  I  have  sworn  that  I  will  not  go  back 
till  I  have  seen  the  monster  face  to  face." 

And  at  that  Minos  frowned,  and  said,  "  Then  thou  shalt 
see  him  ;  take  the  madman  away." 

And  they  led  Theseus  away  into  the  prison,  with  the 
other  youths  and  maids. 

But  Ariadne,  Minos's  daughter,  saw  him,  as  she  came 
out  of  her  white  stone  hall ;  and  she  loved  him  for  his 
courage  and  his  majesty,  and  said,  "  Shame  that  such  a 
youth  should  die  !  "  And  by  night  she  went  down  to  the 
prison,  and  told  him  all  her  heart ;  and  said,  — 

"  Flee  down  to  your  ship  at  once,  for  I  have  bribed  the 
guards  before  the  door.  Flee,  you  and  all  your  friends, 
and  go  back  in  peace  to  Greece  ;  and  take  me,  take  me 
with  you  !  for  I  dare  not  stay  after  you  are  gone  ;  for  my 
father  will  kill  me  miserably,  if  he  knows  what  I  have 
done." 

And  Theseus  stood  silent  awhile  ;  for  he  was  astonished 
and  confounded  by  her  beauty  :  but  at  last  he  said,  "  I 
cannot  go  home  in  peace,  till  I  have  seen  and  slain  this 
Minotaur,  and  avenged  the  deaths  of  the  youths  and 
maidens,  and  put  an  end  to  the  terrors  of  my  land." 

"And  will  you  kill  the  Minotaur  ?     How,  then  ?  " 

"  I  know  not,  nor  do  I  care  :  but  he  must  be  strong  if  he 
be  too  strong  for  me." 

Then  she  loved  him  all  the  more,  and  said,  "  But  when 
you  have  killed  him,  how  will  you  find  your  way  out  of 
the  labyrinth?" 


1 58  THESEUS. 

"  I  know  not,  neither  do  I  care  :  but  it  must  be  a  strange 
road,  if  I  do  not  find  it  out  before  I  have  eaten  up  the  mon- 
ster's carcase." 

Then  she  loved  him  all  the  more,  and  said,  — 

"  Fair  youth,  you  are  too  bold ;  but  I  can  help  you, 
weak  as  I  am.  I  will  give  you  a  sword,  and  with  that, 
perhaps,  you  may  slay  the  beast ;  and  a  clue  of  thread,  and 
by  that,  perhaps,  you  may  find  your  way  out  again.  Only 
promise  me,  that  if  you  escape  safe,  you  will  take  me  home 
with  you  to  Greece  ;  for  my  father  will  surely  kill  me,  if 
he  knows  what  I  have  done." 

Then  Theseus  laughed,  and  said,  "Am  I  not  safe  enough 
now?"  And  he  hid  the  sword  in  his  bosom,  and  rolled  up 
the  clue  in  his  hand ;  and  then  he  swore  to  Ariadne,  and 
fell  down  before  her,  and  kissed  her  hands  and  her  feet  ; 
and  she  wept  over  him  a  long  while,  and  then  went  away ; 
and  Theseus  lay  down  and  slept  sweetly. 

And  when  the  evening  came,  the  guards  came  in  and 
led  him  away  to  the  labyrinth. 

And  he  went  down  into  that  doleful  gulf,  through  wind- 
ing paths  among  the  rocks,  under  caverns,  and  arches,  and 
galleries,  and  over  heaps  of  fallen  stone.  And  he  turned 
on  the  left  hand,  and  on  the  right  hand,  and  went  up  and 
down,  till  his  head  was  dizzy  ;  but  all  the  while  he  held 
his  clue.  For  when  he  went  in  he  had  fastened  it  to  a 
stone,  and  left  it  to  unroll  out  of  his  hand  as  he  went  on  ; 
and  it  lasted  him  till  he  met  the  Minotaur,  in  a  narrow 
chasm  between  black  cliffs. 

And  when  he  saw  him  he  stopped  awhile,  for  he  had 
never  seen  so  strange  a  beast.  His  body  was  a  man's  ; 
but  his  head  was  the  head  of  a  bull ;  and  his  teeth  were 
the  teeth  of  a  Hon  ;  and  with  them  he  tore  his  prey.  And 
when  he  saw  Theseus  he  roared,  and  put  his  head  clown, 
and  rushed  right  at  him, 


Greek  Heroes.  —  Page  159. 


THESEUS.  159 

But  Theseus  stepped  aside  nimbly,  and  as  he  passed  by, 
cut  him  in  the  knee ;  and  ere  lie  could  turn  in  the  narrow 
path,  he  followed  him,  and  stabbed  him  again  and  again 
from  behind,  till  the  monster  fled  bellowing  wildly  ;  for  lie 
had  never  before  felt  a  wound.  And  Theseus  followed 
him  at  full  speed,  holding  the  clue  of  thread  in  his  left 
hand. 

Then  on,  through  cavern  after  cavern,  under  dark  ribs 
of  sounding  stone,  and  up  rough  glens  and  torrent-beds, 
among  the  sunless  roots  of  Ida,  and  to  the  edge  of  the 
eternal  snow,  went  they,  the  hunter  and  the  hunted,  while 
the  hills  bellowed  to  the  monster's  bellow. 

And  at  last  Theseus  came  up  with  him,  where  he  lay 
panting  on  a  slab  among  the  snow,  and  caught  him  by  the 
horns,  and  forced  his  head  back,  and  drove  the  keen  sword 
through  his  throat. 

Then  he  turned,  and  went  back  limping  and  weary, 
feeling  his  way  down  by  the  clue  of  thread,  till  he  came 
to  the  mouth  of  that  doleful  place  ;  and  saw  waiting  for 
him,  whom  but  Ariadne  ! 

And  he  whispered,  "  It  is  done  !  "  and  showed  her  the 
sword  ;  and  she  laid  her  finger  on  her  lips,  and  led  him  to 
the  prison,  and  opened  the  doors,  and  set  all  the  prisoners 
free,  while  the  guards  lay  sleeping  heavily ;  for  she  had 
silenced  them  with  wine. 

Then  they  fled  to  their  ship  together,  and  leapt  on 
board,  and  hoisted  up  the  sail  ;  and  the  night  lay  dark 
around  them,  so  that  they  past  through  Minos's  ships,  and 
escaped  all  safe  to  Naxos ;  and  there  Ariadne  became 
Theseus's  wife. 


160  THESEUS, 


PART   IV. 

HOW    THESEUS    FELL    BY    HIS    PRIDE. 

But  that  fair  Ariadne  never  came  to  Athens  with  her 
husband.  Some  say  that  Theseus  left  her  sleeping  on 
Naxos  among  the  Cyclades  ;  and  that  Dionysus1  the  wine- 
king  found  her,  and  took  her  up  into  the  sky,  as  you  shall 
see  some  day  in  a  -painting  of  old  Titian's,2  one  of  the 
most  glorious  pictures  upon  earth.  And  some  say  that 
Dionysus  drove  away  Theseus,  and  took  Ariadne  from 
him  by  force  :  but  however  that  may  be,  in  his  haste  or  in 
his  grief  Theseus  forgot  to  put  up  the  white  sail.  Now 
vEgeus  his  father  sat  and  watched  on  Sunium  day  after 
day,  and  strained  his  old  eyes  across  the  sea,  to  see  the 
ship  afar.  And  when  he  saw  the  black  sail,  and  not  the 
white  one,  he  gave  up  Theseus  for  dead,  and  in  his  grief 
he  fell  into  the  sea,  and  died  ;  so  it  is  called  the  ^Egean 
to  this  day. 

And  now  Theseus  was  king  of  Athens,  and  he  guarded 
it  and  ruled  it  well. 

For  he  killed  the  bull  of  Marathon,  which  had  killed 
Androgeos,  Minos' s  son  ;  and  he  drove  back  the  famous 
Amazons,  the  warlike  women  of  the  East,  when  they  came 
from  Asia,  and  conquered  all  Hellas,  and  broke  into 
Athens  itself.  But  Theseus  stopped  them  there,  and 
conquered  them,  and   took   Hippolyte  their  queen   to  be 

1  See  "Descriptive  Table  of  Greek  Divinities,"  p.  vi. 

2  The  celebrated  Venetian  painter;  the  picture  here  referred  to  was  painted 
in  1514  for  Alfonso  I.,  Duke  of  Ferrara. 


THESEUS.  161 

his  wife.  Then  he  went  out  to  fight  against  the  Lapithae,1 
and  Peirithous  their  famous  king :  but  when  the  two 
heroes  came  face  to  face  they  loved  each  other,  and  em- 
braced, and  became  noble  friends  ;  so  that  the  friendship 
of  Theseus  and  Peirithous  is  a  proverb  even  now.  And 
he  gathered  (so  the  Athenians  say)  all  the  boroughs  of  the 
land  together,  and  knit  them  into  one  strong  people,  while 
before  they  were  all  parted  and  weak  :  and  many  another 
wise  thing  he  did,  so  that  his  people  honored  him  after  he 
was  dead,  for  many  a  hundred  years,  as  the  father  of  their 
freedom  and  their  laws.  And  six  hundred  years  after  his 
death,  in  the  famous  fight  at  Marathon,2  men  said  that 
they  saw  the  ghost  of  Theseus,  with  his  mighty  brazen 
club,  fighting  in  the  van  of  battle  against  the  invading 
Persians,  for  the  country  which  he  loved.  And  twenty 
years  after  Marathon,  his  bones  (they  say)  were  found  in 
Scyros,  an  isle  beyond  the  sea ;  and  they  were  bigger  than 
the  bones  of  mortal  man.  So  the  Athenians  brought 
them  home  in  triumph  ;  and  all  the  people  came  out  to 
welcome  them  ;  and  they  built  over  them  a  noble  temple, 
and  adorned  it  with  sculptures  and  paintings,  in  which 
were  told  all  the  noble  deeds  of  Theseus,  and  the  Centaurs, 
and  the  Lapithae,  and  the  Amazons  ;  and  the  ruins  of  it 
are  standing -still. 

But  why  did  they  find  his  bones  in  Scyros  ?  Why  did 
he  not  die  in  peace  at  Athens,  and  sleep  by  his  father's 
side  ?  Because,  after  his  triumph  he  grew  proud,  and 
broke  the  laws  of  God  and  man.  And  one  thing  worst  of 
all  he  did,  which  brought  him  to  his  grave  with  sorrow. 
For  he  went  down  (they  say  beneath  the  earth)  with  that 
bold  Peirithous  his  friend,  to   help  him  to  carry  off  Per- 

1  A  mountain  tribe  of  Thessaly. 

2  B.C.  490. 


1 62  THESEUS. 

sephone,1  the  queen  of  the  world  below.  ,  But  Peirithous 
was  killed  miserably,  in  the  dark  fire-kingdoms  under 
ground ;  and  Theseus  was  chained  to  a  rock  in  everlasting 
pain.  And  there  he  sat  for  years,  till  Heracles  the  mighty 
came  down  to  bring  up  the  three-headed  dog  who  sits  at 
Pluto's  gate.  So  Heracles  loosed  him  from  his  chain,  and 
brought  him  up  to  the  light  once  more. 

But  when  he  came  back  his  people  had  forgotten  him, 
and  Castor  and  Polydeuces,  the  sons  of  the  wondrous 
Swan,2  had  invaded  his  land,  and  carried  off  his  mother 
^Sthra  for  a  slave,  in  revenge  for  a  grievous  wrong. 

So  the  fair  land  of  Athens  was  wasted,  and  another  king 
ruled  in  it,  who  drove  out  Theseus  shamefully,  and  he  fled 
across  the  sea  to  Scyros.  And  there  he  lived  in  sadness, 
in  the  house  of  Lycomedes  the  king,  till  Lycomedes  killed 
him  by  treachery,  and  there  was  an  end  of  all  his  labors. 

So  it  is  still,  my  children,  and  so  it  will  be  to  the  end. 
In  those  old  Greeks,  and  in  us  also,  all  strength  and  virtue 
come  from  God.  But  if  men  grow  proud  and  self-willed, 
and  misuse  God's  fair  gifts,  He  lets  them  go  their  own 
ways,  and  fall  pitifully,  that  the  glory  may  be  His  alone. 
God  help  us  all,  and  give  us  wisdom,  and  courage  to  do 
noble  deeds !  but  God  keep  pride  from  us  when  we  have 
done  them,  lest  we  fall,  and  come  to  shame ! 

1  Daughter  of  Demeter,  and  wife  of  Pluto. 

2  See  foot-note  4,  p.  129. 


INDEX. 


PRONOUNCING    INDEX    OF    GREEK 
PROPER    NAMES. 


Note.  —  In  the  English  pronunciation  of  the  following  names, 
observe  these  rules  :  (i)  c  before  e,  ?',  y,  cs,  ce=s  ;  (2)  £•  before  e,  2,  y 
ce,  os  ==/;   (3)  ch  =  k  ;   (4)  cv  and  a?  =  e. 


Ab-syr'tus 

A-by'dos 

Ab'y-la 

A-char'nae 

Ach-e-lo'us 

A-chil'les 

A-cri'si-us" 

(A-cri'  zht-us) 
JE-se'd. 
/E-an'tes 
;E'as 
JE-e'tes 
/E'geus 
yE-gi'na 
yE-ne'as 
JE'o-\\is 
/E-ol'id 
,-E'son 
iB-thari-des 
^E'thi-op 
/E'thra 
JEt'na. 
A'jax 
Al-cin'o-us 
Al'o-pe 


Am-al-the'a 

Am-phi-tri'te 

Am'y-cus 

A-nau'rus 

An-dro'ge-os 

An-drom'e-da 

An-the-mu'sa 

An-ti-cle'a 

Aph'e-tae 

A-phid'nx- 

Aph-ro-di'te 

Ar-ach-mt'us 

A'res 

A-re'te 

Ar-gan'thus 

Ar'give 

Ar'gus 

A-ri-ad'ne 

Ar-i-mas'pi 

As-cle'pi-us 

As-syr'i-a 

A-tar'ga-tis 

Ath'a-mas 

A-the'ne 

A'thos 


At'ti-ca 

Au-so'ni-a 

Bac'chae 

Bel-ler'o-phon 

Bi-thyn'i-a 

Boe'be 

Boe-o'ti-a 

(-shi-a) 
Bos'pho-rus 
Bri'mo 

Brit-o-mar'tis 
Bu'tes 
Cas'neus 
Cal'a-is 
Cal-li'o-pe 
Cal'pe 
Cal'y-don 
Can'thus 
Ca'si-us 

{-2/11-?/  y) 
Cas-si-o-pe'a 
Cas-si-ter'i-des 
Cau'ca-sus 
Ce'os 
Ce'pheus 


Ce-phi'sus 
Cer'cy-on 

(s/12-021) 
Ce'yx 

Chal-ci'o-pe 
Chal'y-bes 
Cha-ryb'dis 
Chefron 
Chem'mis 
Cher-so-nese' 
Chi-mae'ra 
Ci'con 

Cim-me'ri-ap 
Cir'ce 
Ci-thae'ron 
Cle-o-pa'tra 
Cno'sus  1 
Coc'a-lus 
Col'chi 
Col'chis 
Co-pa'ic 
Cor-cy'ra 
Cor-y-ne'tes 
Crom'my-on 
Cro'ni-an 


Initial  c  before  a  consonant  is  silent;    therefore  pronounce,  Xo' su$< 


1 66 


INDEX    OE   GREEK  PROPER   NAMES. 


Cyc'la-des 

Cy-clo'pes 

Cyr-e-na'i-ca 

Cy-re'ne 

Cy-tae'a 

Cyth'nus 

Cyz'i-cus 

Daed'a-lus 

Da-mas'tes 

Dan'a-e 

Del'phi 

De-me'ter 

Deu-ca'li-on 

Dic'tys 

Di-o-ny'sus 

Di-os-cu'ri 

E-chid'na 

E-chin'a-des 

E-leu'sis 

En-cel'a-dus 

E'os 

Ep-i-dau'rus 

E-rin'y-es 

Eu-boe'a 

Eu-phor'bus 

Eu-ri'pus 

Eu-ro'tas 

Eu-ry'a-le 

Eu-ryd'i-ce 

Eu-rys'theus 

Eux'ine 

Gal-a-te'a 

Ge-lo'ni 

Ge'ry-on 

Ha'des 

Hae-mo'ni-a 

Hal-cy'o-ne 

Ha-li-ac'mon 

Har'pe 


Hel'le 

Hel-le'nes 

Hel'les-pont 

He-phaes'tus 

He'ra 

Her'a-cles 

Her'mes 

Her-mi'o-ne 

Hes-per'i-des 

Hes'pe-rus 

Hip-pol'y-te 

Hyd're-a 

Hy'las 

jHy-met'tus 

Hy-per-bo're-an 

Hy-per-bo're-i 

I-be'ri-a 

I-ca'ri-an 

Ic'a-rus 

I'da 

I-da'li-an 

I'das 

Id'mon 

I-er'ne 

Il'i-ad 

Il'i-um 

Fno 

I-ob'a-tes 

I-o-la'us 

I-ol'cus 

I-o'ni-an 

Tope 

Ith'a-ca 

Lac-e-dae'mon 

La-co'ni-a 

La'don 

Lap'i-thae 

La-ris'sa 

Lem'nos 


Li-bur'ni-a 

Lib'y-a 

Lil-y-bae'um 

Lo'cri 

Lyc-o-me'des 

Ly'cus 

Lyn'ceus 

Mae-ot'id 

Ma'le-a 

Mar'a-thon 

Me-de'a 

Me-du'sa 

Meg'a-ra 

Me-lae'na 

Me-le-a'ger 

Me-tha'na 

Mi'nos 

Min'o-taur 

Min'y-ae 

Min'y-an 

Mop'sus 

My-ce'nas 

Mys'i-an 

(^zhi-an) 
Nau-sith'o-us 
Nax'os 
Ne'leus 
Nes'tor 
Nu-mid'i-a 
O-dys'seus 
Od'ys-sey 
CEn'o-e 
CE'ta 
O-i'leus 
O-lym'pus 
Or-chom'e-nus 
Or'pheus 
Pag'a-sae 
Pal-lan'tid 


Pan-da're-os 

Pan-di'on 

Par'nes 

Pau-sa'ni-as 

PeT-rith'o-us 

Pe-las'gi 

Pe'leus 

Pe'li-as 

Pe'li-on 

Pel-o-pon-nese' 

Pel-o-pon-ne'sus 

Pe-nel'o-pe 

Pe-ne'us 

Pen-tel'i-cus 

Per'dix 

Per-i-phe'tes 

Per-seph'o-ne 

Per'seus 

Phae'a 

Phae-a'ces 

Pha'si-an 

Q&M-an) 
Pha'sis 
Phi'neus 
Phoe'bus 
Phol'o-e 
Phoe-nic'i-a 

(-nish'i-a) 
Phrix'us 
Phy-tal'id 
Phyt'a-lus 
Pin'dus 
Pit'theus 
Pit-y-o-camp'tes 
Plu'to 
Pollux 
Pol-y-dec'tes 
Pol-y-deu'ces 
Po-sei'don 


INDEX   OF  GREEK  PROPER   NAMES.               I 

Pro-crus'tes 

Sci'ron 

Syr'tes 

Thri-a'si-an 

Prce'tus 

Scyl'la 

Syr'tis 

(-zht-an) 

Pro-me'theus 

Scy'ros 

Ta'los 

Thym'bris 

Pro-pon'tis 

Se-li'nus 

Tan/a-is 

Thyn'i-as 

Psyl'li1 

Sem'e-le 

Tar-tes'sus 

Ti'phys 

Rhi-pae'an 

Se'pi-as 

Tau'ri 

Ti'ryns 

Rhod'o-pe 

Ser-bo'ni-an 

Tel'a-mon 

Ti'tan 

Rhyn'da-cus 

Se-ri'phus 

Te-lem'a-chus 

Tri-bal'li 

Sal'a-mis 

Si'nis 

Te'nos 

Tri'ton 

Sam-o-thra'ce 

Si-no'pe 

Tem'pe 

Trip-tol'e-mu 

San-ga'ri-us 

Soc'ra-tes 

Teu-ta'mi-as 

Troe-ze'ne  8 

Sa-ron'ic 

Sthe'no 

Ther-mop'y-lae 

Tyr-rhe'ni-a 

Sau-rom'a-tae 

Stry'mon 

The'seus 

Ze'tes 

Sci'a-thos 

Su'ni-um 

The'tis 

Zeus 

167 


1  Initial/  before  a  consonant  is  silent;   therefore  pronounce  Syl'lu 

2  The  more  usual  spelling  is  Trcrfzen. 


ADVERTISEMENTS 


WENTWORTH'S  ARITHMETICS. 

Adopted  for  exclusive  use  in  the  state  of  Washington,  and  in 
countless  cities,  towns,  and  schools. 


MASTERY :  their  motto. 

LEARN  TO  DO  BY  DOING:  their  method. 

PRACTICAL  ARITHMETICIANS:  the  result. 


WENTWORTH'S  PRIMARY  ARITHMETIC. 

By  G.  A.  Wentworth,  Professor  of  Mathematics  in  Phillips 
Exeter  Academy,  and  Miss  E.  M.  Reed,  Principal  of  the  Train- 
ing School,  Springfield,  Mass.  Profusely  illustrated.  Introduc- 
tion price,  30  cents. 

In  a  word,  this  book  —  the  fruit  of  the  most  intelligent  and 
painstaking  study,  long-continued  —  is  believed  to  represent  the 
best-known  methods  of  presenting  numbers  to  primarians,  and  to 
present  these  methods  in  the  most  available  form.  It  is  com- 
mended as  profoundly  philosophical  in  method,  simple  and 
ingenious  in  development,  rich  and  varied  in  matter,  attractive 
in  style,  and  practical  in  effect. 

It  has  been  carefully  and  critically  examined  by  myself  and  my  teachers,  and  in  our 
estimation  it  stands  ahead  of  anything  else  of  the  kind  that  we  have  found.  —  Principal 
Campbell,  State  Normal  School,  Johnsott,  Vt. 

WENTWORTH'S  GRAMMAR  SCHOOL  ARITHMETIC. 

Illustrated.     Introductory  price,  65  cents. 
Answers  free  on  teachers'  orders. 

Intended  to  follow  the  Primary  Arithmetic  and  make  with  that  a 
two-book  series  for  common  schools.  It  is  designed  to  give  pupils 
of  the  grammar-school  age  an  intelligent  knowledge  of  the  subject 
and  a  moderate  power  of  independent  thought,  by  training  them  to 
solve  problems  by  neat  and  intelligent  methods  and  keeping  them 
free  from  set  rules  and  formulas.  It  is  characterized  by  accuracy, 
thoroughness,  good  sense,  school-room  tact,  and  practical  ingenuity. 

Eminently  practical,  well  graded,  and  well  arranged.  ...  I  consider  it  the  brightest, 
most  attractive,  most  scholarly  text-book  on  this  subject  that  has  been  issued  for  years. 
—  Principal  Serviss,  Amsterdam,  N.  Y. 

In  a  word,  these  books  represent  the  Best  Methods,  made 
feasible,  with  the  Best  Problems,  —  ingenious,  varied,  practical, 
and  abundant. 

G1NN    &    COMPANY,    Publishers. 

Boston.  New  York,  Chicago,  and  London. 


WENTWORTH'S  ARITHMETICS. 


Crystallized  from  years  of  study  and  experience  ;  sharp  in  outline ; 
clear  in  substance.  These  books  are  characterized,  like  the  author's 
academic  text-books,  by  the  closest  adaptation  to  the  needs  of  the 
pupil  and  the  requirements  of  class-room  study.  They  economize 
time  and  mental  energy,  while  they  secure  the  most  distinct  and 
lasting  impressions.     Note  the  following  testimonials  :  — 


PRIMARY  ARITHMETIC. 
Warren  Holden,  Prof.  Mathematics, 
Girard  College,  Philadelphia  :  I  think 
it  admirably  adapted  for  the  purpose 
intended. 

J.  A.  Graves,  Prin.  South  Gram- 
mar School,  Hartford,  Conn. :  I  am 
glad  to  find  at  last  a  real  Primary 
Arithmetic. 

T.  M.  Balliet,  Supt.  Schools,  Spring- 
field, Mass. :  It  is  based  on  right  prin- 
ciples, and  the  details  are  worked  out 
with  care. 

E.  C.  Branson,  Supt.  Schools,  Ath- 
ens, Ga.  :  The  best  to  date  in  America ; 
and,  in  fact,  the  only  Primary  Arith- 
metic worth  putting  into  the  hands  of 
pupils  at  all. 

J.  M.  Green,  Prin.  State  Normal  and 
Model  Schools,  New  Jersey:  It  is  a 
book  in  which  the  authors  manifest 
what  seems  to  me  to  be  the  true  un- 
derstanding of  what  constitutes  pri- 
mary work  in  number. 

S.  A.  Ellis,  Supt.  Schools,  Rochester, 
N.  Y.  :  The  methods  followed  are  ap- 
proved by  our  best  educators.  The 
examples  are  practical  and  sufficiently 
numerous ;  and,  in  fact,  nothing  seems 
to  have  been  omitted  that  would  tend 
to  give  a  young  pupil  a  clear  and  sat- 
isfactory idea  of  the  various  processes 
ii  Arithmetic. 


GRAMMAR  SCHOOL  ARITHMETIC. 
A.  B.  Fifield,  Prin.  Eaton  School, 
New  Haven,    Conn. ;    It   is   a  model 
text-book. 


John  R.  Dunton,  Prin.    Grammar 

School,  Lewiston,  Me.  :  It  is  an  excel- 
lent book.  Both  its  matter  and  meth- 
ods of  treatment  are  well  adapted  to 
grammar  school  needs. 

E.  C.  Willard,  Prin.  High  School, 
Westerly,  R.I. :  Nearly  every  page 
bears  the  characteristic  marks  of  the 
author,  who  easily  leads  to-day  in 
mathematical  book-making. 

P.  T.  Bugbee,  Prin.  Utiion  School, 
Newark,  N.  Y. :  It  has  stood  the  test 
of  several  years  with  us,  and  I  consider 
it  superior  to  any  other  Arithmetic  of 
grammar  grade  which  I  have  seen. 

G.  S.  Albee,  Pres.  State  Normal 
School,  Oshkosh,  Wis. :  The  abun- 
dance of  concrete  problems  tending 
to  exercise  the  pupil  in  more  respects 
than  in  a  mere  process,  is  a  very  com- 
mendable feature. 

Edward  Taylor,  Supt.  Schools,  Vm- 
cennes,  Ind. :  It  is  sufficient  to  say 
that  we  have  been  using  it  as  the  sole 
pupil's  text  in  that  grade  for  five  years 
past,  and  always  with  entire  satisfac- 
tion. 


GINN  &  COMPANY,  Publishers, 

Boston,  New  York,  and  Chicago, 


BOOK  I.  40  cts.  introd.  BOOK  II.  feO  cts.  introd. 

TARBELL'S 

LESSONS  IN  LANGUAGE. 

By  H.  S.  TARBELL,  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Providence,  R.I. 

Here  is  at  last  a  series  that  harmonizes  "language  "  and ." grammar ',"  and 

makes  expression  through  written  forms  as  natural  as  thought  and  speech. 

It  is  believed  that  nothing  crude,  notional,  or  simply  "  taking  "  will  be 
found  in  the  books,  however  original  and  attractive  they  may  seem.  Five 
years  were  spent  in  maturing  the  plan,  and  five  years  more  in  working  out 
the  details.  The  most  approved  text-books  —  American,  English,  French, 
and  German  —  were  studied.  A  number  of  the  best  known  specialists  in 
this  department  assisted.  The  experience  of  hundreds  of  teachers  and  the 
capacity  of  thousands  of  pupils  were  consulted. 

A  course  in  which  so  much  good  thought  has  been  embodied  must  possess 
marked  features  worthy  of  attention.  The  appeal  is  confidently  made  to  the 
class-room.     All  are  urged  to  test  our  recommendations  by  actual  use. 

Wm.  E.  Buck,  Supt.  Public  Instruction,  Manchester,  N.H .  :  I  am  particularly  well 
pleased  with  them.  They  insure  better  teaching,  because  most  teachers  will  almost  literally 
follow  the  text-book  and  Tarbell's  Lessons  have  evidently  been  arranged  with  this  fact  in 
view.  Accordingly,  all  subjects  are  treated  with  sufficient  fullness  for  the  common  school 
and  in  due  proportion  with  reference  to  theory  and  practice. 

A.  Wanner,  City  Su.pt.  of  Schools,  York,  Pa.  :  They  are  admirably  adapted  to  teach 
the  pupil  "  to  use  his  native  tongue  with  readiness,  clearness  and  accuracy  in  both  its  spoken 
and  written  forms." 

Mary  A.  Bacon,  Teacher  of  English,  Girls'1  Normal  and  Industrial  School,  Millcdgc- 
ville,  Ga.  :  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  they  are  the  best  books  on  the  subject  now  in 
the  field.     The  most  inexperienced  teacher  could  not  fail  of  fair  success  with  such  texts. 

R.  W.  Stevenson,  Supt.  of  Schools,  Wichita,  Kansas :  It  will,  by  the  force  of  merit, 

push  itself  into  many  of  our  best  schools.  Teachers  will  find  it  one  of  the  best  arranged  and 
the  best  graded  of  the  many  books  on  language  culture  for  primary  schools.  The  exercises 
for  composition  are  fresh  and  pointed,  and  if  followed  must  result  in  making  the  pupil  able 
to  write  his  thoughts  accurately,  correctly  and  clearly. 

N.  Somerville,  Supt.  of  Public  Schools,  Denison,  Texas:  Tarbell's  Lessons  in  Language 
have  been  in  use  in  the  public  schools  of  this  city  five  months,  and  I  have  had  an  excellent 
opportunity  of  testing  their  efficiency  by  actual  experiment  in  the  school  room.  .  .  .  On  the 
whole  it  may  be  said  that  they  are  without  a  rival,  so  far  as  merit  is  concerned. 

George  S.  Albee,  Pres.  Stale  Normal  School,  Oshfcaeh,  Wis.  :  It  constitutes  the  best 
basis  for  a  child's  progress  in  culture  in  language  known  to  me.  Its  lessons  are  not  merely 
consistent  and  progressive,  which  could  be  said  of  several  other  elementary  texts  in 
language,  but  in  addition,  they  constitute  a  linguistic  center,  which  calls  for  exercise  upon 
the  child's  varied  field  of  knowledge. 

CINN  &.  COMPANY,  Publishers, 

Boston,  New  York,  and  Chicago. 


STICKNEY'S  READERS. 

Introductory  to  Classics  for  Children.  By  J.  H.  Stickney,  author  of 
The  Child's  Book  of  Language,  Letters  and  Lessons  in  Language, 
English  Grammar,  etc.  Introduction  Prices:  First  Reader,  24  cents; 
Second  Reader,  32  cents  ;  Third  Reader,  40  cents  ;  Fourth  Reader, 
50  cents;  Fifth  Reader,  60  cents;  Auxiliary  Books  :  Stickney  &  Pea- 
body's  First  Weeks  at  School,  12  cents;  Stickney's  Classic  Primer,  20 
cents. 

These  books  are,  first  of  all,  readers.  This  main  purpose, 
is  not  sacrificed  in  order  to  get  in  all  sorts  of  "  features  "  to 
entrap  the  unwary. 

The  vitality  of  methods  and  selections  preserves  the  chil- 
dren's natural  vivacity  of  thought  and  expression. 

The  editor  aimed  at  positive  excellence,  and  not  simply  to 
make  a  series  so  characterless  that  no  one,  however  unreason- 
able or  ill-informed,  could  discover  a  feature  definite  enough 
to  find  fault  with. 

This  is  almost  the  only  series  that  contains  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  reading  matter,  and  there  is  no  padding. 

Good  reading  would  not  be  good  if  it  did  not  appeal  to 
what  is  good  in  us,  and  the  lessons  in  Stickney's  Readers, 
without  "  moralizing,"  carry  moral  influence  in  warp  and  woof. 

Give  the  children  a  chance  at  these  Readers.  They  are 
the  ones  most  interested.  Ought  we  not  to  consult  their 
tastes,  which  mean  their  capacities  ?  Their  verdict  is  always 
for  Stickney. 

When  it  is  a  question  of  obstacles,  wings  are  sometimes 
worth  more  than  feet.  Stickney's  Readers  are  inspiring, 
and  lift  the  children  over  difficulties. 

Best  in  idea  and  plan  ;  best  in  matter  and  make  ;  best  in 
interest  and  results. 

They  have  found  favor  with  our  teachers  and  pupils  from  the  first. 
To  me  the  books  seem  to  be  just  what  the  gifted  author  intended  them 
to  be,  as  natural  and  beautiful  as  childhood  itself.  They  deserve  the 
greatest  success. — -A.  R.  Sabin,  Assistant  Supt.,  Chicago,  III. 


CINN  &  COMPANY,  Publishers, 

Boston,  New  York,  and  Chicago, 


OPEN  SESAME 

About  One  Thousand  Pieces  of  the  Choicest  Prose  and  Verse. 
compiled  by 
Blanche  Wilder  Bellamy  and   Maud  Wilder  Goodwin. 

VOL.  I.  for  children  from  four  to  ten  years  old. 
VOL.  II.  for  children  from  ten  to  fourteen  years  old. 
VOL.  III.  for  children  of  a  larger  growth. 

Illustrated,  and  handsomely  bound  in  cloth.     Price  of  each  to 
teachers,  and  for  introduction,  75  cents. 


No  Eastern  romancer  ever  dreamed  of  such  a  treasure- 
house  as  our  English  literature. 

With  this  "  Open  Sesame  "  in  his  possession  a  boy  or  girl 
has  only  to  enter  and  make  its  wealth  his  own. 

Every  piece  is  believed  to  be  worth  carrying  away  in  the 
memory. 

The  best  writings  of  our  classic  authors  are  here,  with 
selections  from  recent  literature  and  not  a  few  translations. 

It  is  very  good  indeed.  We  think  it  the  best  of  all  the  collections.  —  E.  A. 
Sheldon,  Prin.  State  Normal  School,  Oswego,  N.  Y. 

I  think  it  by  far  the  best  collection  of  memory  pieces  I  have  ever  seen.  —  F.  B. 
Palmer,  Prin.  State  Normal  School,  Fredonia,  N.  Y. 

It  is  a  beauty,  and  of  all  similar  works  I  have  seen,  it  has  the  most  desirable 
selections. —  W.  E.  Buck,  Supt.  Public  Schools,  Manchester,  N.  H. 

The  book  is  a  handsome  specimen  of  the  arts  of  typography  and  binding, 
while  the  selections  and  their  arrangement  speak  well  for  the  judgment  and  taste 
of  the  editors. —  Chas.  W.  Cole,  Supt.  Public  Schools,  Albaity,  N.  Y. 

It  [Volume  I.]  is  a  rare  and  rich  collection  of  poems  and  a  few  prose 
articles.  —  Inter-Ocean,  Chicago. 

The  whole  book  is  full  to  overflowing  of  the  best  things  to  be  found  in  the 
English  language,  and  is  a  thoroughly  happy  production  which  children,  parents, 
and  teachers  will  welcome  eagerly. —  Education,  Boston. 

It  is  not  often  that  a  collection  of  verse  so  thoroughly  representative  of  what 
is  best  in  literature,  and  so  inclusive  of  what  one  has  learned  to  love  and  to  look 
for  in  every  anthology,  comes  from  the  press.  —  Christian  Union,  New  York. 

The  editors  have  brought  to  their  task  a  sufficiently  wide  and  sympathetic 
knowledge  of  English  and  American  verse,  and  have  also  wisely  considered  the 
real  needs  and  tastes  of  children.  .  .  .  The  collection  is  at  once  of  a  high  char- 
acter and  of  a  practicable  sort. —  Sunday  School  Times,  Philadelphia. 


CINN  &  COMPANY,  Publishers, 

Boston,  JYew  York,  Chicago,  and  London. 


THE  NATIONAL  MUSIC  COURSE 

Aims 

To  place  vocal  music  on  the  same  footing  as  the  regular  school  studies,  and 
enable  the  class  teachers  to  give  successful  instruction  in  music,  as  in  geog- 
raphy and  arithmetic,  under  competent  direction. 

IX  HAS  SUCCEEDED 

Fully,  as  the  list  of  places  using  it  proves.  The  testimony  of  teachers, 
superintendents,  and  musicians  is  unmistakable  evidence  of  its  excellence 
and  superiority. 

"  If  there  is  any  argument  in  pure  merit,  the  National  should  head  the  list  of  music 
courses.  . . .  Very  rarely  is  as  much  genius,  study,  and  research  devoted  to  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  series  of  books  as  has  been  given  by  Professor  Mason  to  the  National  Course. 
The  books  stand  the  severest  tests  of  time  and  use."  —  T.  E.  Hazell,  Special  Teacher 
(if  Music,  New  York  City. 


MORE 

THAN 

ANY 

OTHER 


endorsed  by  wide  use  and  satisfactory  results, 
approved  by  musical  authorities  here  and  abroad, 
recommended  on  a  careful  examination  of  its  merits, 
enjoyed  by  the  teachers  who  teach  and  the  children  who  study  it* 


SOME  POINTS  OF  EXCELLENCE. 


i.  It  is  based  on  the  fundamental  principles  of  education. 

2.  It  combines  the  best  musical  theory  with  the  best  methods  of  teaching,  analogous 
to  those  followed  in  other  branches  of  school  study,  particularly  the  teaching  of  language. 

3.  The  instruction  is  comprehensive  and  thorough,  systematically  and  progressively 
developed  from  the  lowest  grades  to  the  highest,  and  fitted  to  the  school-room  and  the 
usual  course  of  study. 

4.  The  best  composers  are  represented,  and  the  best  song-writers. 

•  5.  The  music  is  taking  and  interesting  to  children;  it  wears  well,  and  does  not  grow 
stale. 

6.  The  literature  is  appropriate,  dignified,  and  improving. 

7.  It  presents  the  fruit  of  the  best  musical  study  and  experience  in  all  countries. 

8.  It  is  endorsed  by  long  and  wide  use,  in  America  and  in  foreign  countries. 

9.  It  is  endorsed  by  practical  teachers  of  school  music,  by  superintendents,  by  class 
teachers,  and  by  musical  experts. 

10.  Those  who  have  most  thoroughly  studied  the  System  are  most  firmly  convinced  of 
its  excellence  and  its  superiority. 

11.  Thoroughly  tested  under  most  varied  conditions,  it  is  beyond  the  period  of 
experiment. 

12.  It  is  fresh  and  abreast  of  the  times,  and  will  always  be  kept  in  line  with  the  newest 
approved  thought. 

13.  It  exerts  a  strong  influence  toward  the  good  order  of  the  school  and  the  refinement 
of  the  pupils. 

14.  It  not  only  appeals  to  the  musical  children,  but  awakens  and  develops  the  un- 
musical. 

15.  It  requires  but  little  time,  is  not  expensive,  and  can  certainly  be  handle**  by  th« 
regular  teachers  under  proper  supervision. 

16.  Properly  taught,  it  is  sure  to  produce  the  desired  result. 


GINN  &  COMPANY,   Publishers, 

Boston,  New  York,  and  Chicago. 


Musical  Publications. 


Introd 
Caswell  &  Ryan  :  Time  and  Tune  Series.  Price. 

Book  I.     The  /Eolian $0.65 

Book  II.     Ths  Barcarolle 94 

Coda Supplementary  Music  for  Public  Schools.     No. 

200  now  ready.     Send  for  List. 

Eirhberg Girls'  High  School  Music  Reader 1.25 

New  High  School  Music  Reader 94 

High  School  Music  Reader  (old  edition) 94 

Eichberg  &  Sharland:  Fourth  Music  Reader  (Revised) .94 

Abridged  Fourth  Music  Reader  (Revised)  75 

Emerson,  Brown  &  Gay:  The  Morning  Hour 50 

Leib Voices  of  Children 40 

Mason New  First  Reader 25 

New  Second  Reader 40 

New  Third  Reader 40 

Independent   Reader 70 

Abridged  Independent  Reader 60 

National  Music  Teacher 40 

Hymn  and  Tune  Book  for  Female  Voices 60 

Hymn  and  Tune  Book  for  Mixed  Voices 60 

Independent  and    Hymn   and    Tune    Book   for 

Mixed  Voices  (combined) 94 

New  First,  Second,  and  Third  Series  of   Music 

Charts each  9.00 

Time-Name  Chart 7  5 

Transposition  Chart 75 

Mason  &  Veazie  :  New  Fourth  Music  Reader 90 

National  Music  Course.     See  Mason,  Mason  &  Veazie,  Eichberg, 
Eichberg  &  Sharland. 

Pease Singing-Book 70 

Russell Chromatic  Chart 2.00 

Tilden..... Common  School  Song  Reader  36 

Common  School  Chart 5.00 

Handbook  of  First-Year  Lessons.. 10 

Veazie School  Singer 00 

Music  Primer 05 

Four-Part  Song  Reader 40 

Young ..Institute  Song  Collection 10 

Zuchtmann  &  Kirtland :  Choral  Book 60 


GINN  &  COMPANY,  Publishers, 

Boston,  New  York,  and  Chicago. 


GEOGRAPHY. 

Our  World  Reader,  No.  7. 

First  Lessons  in  Geography,  being  a  revised  edition  of  Our  World  sfo.  1. 
,     With  new  Maps  and  Illustrations.    By  Mary  L.  Hall.    12mo.    Cloth, 
viii  +  208  pages.    Mailing  price,  00  cents;  for  introduction,  50  cents. 

'\[0  book  relating  to  this  interesting  branch  of  study  has  been 
more  widely  used,  or  read  with  more  absorbing  interest  by 
children,  than  Our  World  No.  i,  which  for  many  years  has  been 
a  standard  text-book,  or  supplementary  reader,  in  public  and 
private  schools. 

The  book,  with  some  necessary  changes,  and  with  important 
additions,  is  now  issued  as  a  supplementary  reader  for  primary 
schools. 

The  charm  of  the  book  is  not  only  its  simplicity  of  style  and 
vividness  of  description,  but  also  its  seizing  upon  broad  and  gen- 
eral characteristics  in  its  treatment  of  the  subject.  Confusing 
details  are  therefore  avoided,  the  design  being,  not  so  much  to 
impart  a  knowledge  of  mere  facts  as  to  present,  in  clearest  out- 
line, pictures  of  the  eai'th  as  "the  home  of  man." 

In  brief,  Our  World  Reader  No.  1,  is 

1.  A  book  of  proved  attractiveness  for  young  readers. 

2.  A  book  that  helps  the  regular  school  work. 

3.  A  book  that  imparts  the  sort  of  information  about  our  world 
which  every  intelligent  person  would  and  should  possess. 

4.  A  book  in  accord  with  the  most  approved  principles  of 
education. 

A  book  full,  from  beginning  to  end,  of  the  germs  of  valuable 
ideas. 

0.  A  book  that  illustrates  a  sensible  method  of  teaching  geog- 
raphy, and  that  will  be  welcomed  by  many  as  the  best  primary 
text-book  on  the  subject. 


V.  G.  Curtis.  Supt.  of  Pub.  Schools, 
Winona,  Minn. :  We  have  used  the 
old  edition  in  the  schools  of  this  city 
as  a  supplementary  reading-book  for 
some  time,  and  I  am  sure  that  in  its 
new  and  attractive  form  it  will  be 
still  more  highly  valued  for  that  pur- 
pose than  before.  I  shall  take  great 
pleasure  in  introducing  this  charm- 


ing new  edition  into  the  schools  under 
my  supervision. 

E.  C.  Sabin,  Supt.  of  Pub.  Schools, 
Portia nd,  Oregon:  It  is  a  beautiful 
and  most  desirable  book.  Miss  Hall's 
first  book  did  incalculable  good  to 
the  proper  method  of  teaching  geog- 
raphy, and  this  form  will  extend  its 
good  influence. 


HISTORY. 

Washington  and  His  Country. 

By  Washington  Irving  and  John  Fiske.  G54  pages,  including  13  maps. 
12mo.  Cloth:  Mailing  price,  $  1.10;  for  introduction,  $1.00.  Boards:  85 
and  75  cents.  QUESTIONS  have  been  prepared  to  facilitate  the  use  of 
the  work  as  a  text-book  of  United  States  history.  Paper.  88  pages. 
Introduction  price,  15  cents. 

fPHIS  consists  of  Irving's  Life  of  Washington,  judiciously  abridged 
by  John  Fiske,  and  supplemented  with  an  Introduction  and  a 
Continuation  by  Mr.  Fiske  that  make  the  work  in  effect  a  His- 
tory of  the  United  States.  It  is  anticipated  that  this  History 
will  be  cordially  welcomed  and  will  exert  a  great  influence  upon 
present  methods  and  courses  of  study.  It  will  be  found  to  com- 
bine many  peculiar  excellences. 

1.  History  is  taught  through  biography.  This  secures  the  great- 
est interest,  unity,  and  clearness,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  greatest 
moral  value. 

2.  The  history  is  presented  in  a  readable  outline.  The  salient 
points  are  fully  and  vividly  set  forth,  and  cannot  fail  to  impress 
the  memory  and  the  imagination. 

3.  The  pupil  has  before  him  in  this  book  the  thought  and  lan- 
guage of  an  acknowledged  master  of  English. 

4.  The  abridging  and  the  supplementing  have  been  done  by  one 
exceptionally  competent.  The  Introduction  and  the  Continuation 
are  masterly  sketches,  unequalled  by  anything  hitherto  published. 

Thus,  while  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  facts  and  events,  the  pupil 
is  gaining  a  love  for  history  and  literature,  moulding  his  diction  by 
a  classic  author,  and  ennobling  his  character  by  contemplating  one 
of  the  grandest  types  of  humanity.  There  will  be  less  of  mechani- 
cal study  and  more  of  the  real,  less  committing  to  memory  of 
trivial  facts,  and  a  firmer  grasp  of  the  important  ones. 


W.  E.  Buck,  Sapt.  of  Schools, 
Manchester,  N.H. :  I  cannot  think 
of  another  book  so  desirable  for  col- 
lateral reading  by  pupils  studying 
history  in  the  common  schools. 

E.  H.  Russell,  Prin.  of  Normal 
School,  Worcester,  Mass.:  I  have 
ordered  a  supply  for  class  use.  It 
seems  to  me  the  most  noteworthy 
book  that  has  appeared  in  this  field 


for  years.    I  recommend  it  right  and 
left  without  reserve. 

Thomas  M.  Balliet,  Supt.  of 
Schools,  Springfield,  Mass.;  It  can 
be  used  as  a  text-book  on  U.  S. 
History;  and  as  a  book  for  supple- 
mentary reading  on  the  subject,  I 
don't  know  of  anything  else  equal 
to  it. 
{Jan.  20, 1888.) 


HIGHER   ENGLISH. 


Hudson's  Expurgated  Shakespeare. 

For  Schools,  Clubs,  and  Families.  Revised  and  enlarged  Editions  o# 
twenty-three  Plays.  Carefully  expurgated,  with  Explanatory  Notes  at 
the  bottom  of  the  page,  and  Critical  Notes  at  the  end  of  each  volume. 
By  H.  N.  Hudson,  LL.D.,  Editor  of  The  Harvard  Shakespeare.  One 
play  in  each  volume.      Square  16mo.     Varying  in  size  from  128-253 

Sages.    Mailing  Price  of  each :  Cloth,  50  cents ;  Paper,  35  cents.    Intra* 
uction  Price:  Cloth,  45  cents;  Paper,  30  cents.     Per  set  Cin  DOX)t 
$12.00.    (To  Teachers,  $10.00.)     For  list  see  next  page. 

DOME  of  the  special  features  of  this  edition  are  the  convenient 
size  and  shape  of  the  volumes ;  the  clear  type,  superior  press- 
work,  and  attractive  binding;  the  ample  introductions:  the  ex- 
planatory notes,  easily  found  at  the  foot  of  the  page ;  the  critical 
notes  for  special  study ;  the  judicious  expurgation,  never  mangling 
either  style  or  story ;  the  acute  and  sympathetic  criticism  that  has 
come  to  be  associated  with  Dr.  Hudson's  name ;  and,  finally,  the 
reasonableness  of  the  price. 


Oliver  Wendell  Holmes:  An  edi- 
tion of  any  play  of  Shakespeare's  to 
which  Mr.  Hudson's  name  is  affixed 
does  not  need  a  line  from  anybody  to 
commend  it. 

Cyrus  Northrop,  President  Uni- 
versity of  Minnesota :  They  are  con- 
venient in  form  and  edited  by  Hud- 
son,—  two  good  things  which  I  can 
see  at  a  glance. 

Hiram  Corson,  Prof,  of  Rhet.  and 
Eng.  Lit.,  Cornell  University :  I  con- 
sider them  altogether  excellent.  The 
notes  give  all  the  aid  needed  for  an 
understanding  of  the  text,  without 
waste  and  distraction  of  the  student's 
mind.  The  introductory  matter  to 
the  several  plays  is  especially  worthy 
of  approbation. 

C.  F.  P.  Bancroft,  Prin.  of  Phil- 
lips Academy,  Andover,  Mass. :  Mr. 
Hudson's  appreciation  of  Shake- 
speare amounted  to  genius.  His 
editing  accordingly  exhibits  more 
than  learning  and  industry.  —  it  re- 
veals insight,  sympathy,  and  convic- 
Eiuii.    He  leads  the  pupil  into  the 


very  mind  and  heart  of  "  the  thou 

sand-souled  Shakespeare." 

Byron  Groce,  Master  in  Public 
Latin  School,  Boston  :  The  amended 
text  is  satisfactory;  the  typography 
is  excellent;  the  notes  are  brief,  al- 
ways helpful,  not  too  numerous,  and 
put  where  they  will  do  the  most  good ; 
the  introductions  are  vigorous,  in- 
spiriting, keenly  and  soundly  critical, 
and  very  attractive  to  boys,  especially 
on  account  of  their  directness  and 
warmth,  for  all  boys  like  enthusi* 
asm. 

C.  T.  Winchester,  Prof,  of  English, 
Wesleyan  University :  The  notes  and 
comments  in  the  school  edition  are 
admirably  fitted  to  the  need  of  the 
student,  removing  his  difficulties  bj 
stimulating  his  interest  and  quicken- 
ing his  perception. 

George  S.  Hillard :  His  views,  be 
they  deemed  right  or  wrong,  sound 
or  unsound,  are  unborrowed.  They 
are  coined  in  his  own  mint,  and  beak 
bis  image  and  superscription. 


22  HIGHER    ENGLISH. 

The  list  is  as  follows :  — 

*A  Midsummer-Night's  Dream.3  *Henry  the  Eighth.* 

*The  Merchant  of  Venice.1  *Romeo  and  Juliet.* 

*Much  Ado  Ahout  Nothing.3  *  Julius  Caesar.1 

*As  You  Like  It.i        Twelfth  Night.i  *Hamlet.1 

*The  Tempest."2  The  Winter's  Tale.2  *King  Lear.2 

King  John.  Richard  Second.  *Macbeth.2 

Richard  Third.2  Antony  and  Cleopatra.' 

*Henry  Fourth,  Part  First. i  *Othello.3 
Henry  Fourth,  Part  Second.1  Cymbeline.3 

Henry  the  Fifth.2  *Coriolanus.3 

Old  Edition,  paper,  plays  starred  above.  By  mail,  20  cents ;  for  introduc- 
tion, 15  cents. 

Hudson's  Three-Volume  Shakespeare. 

For  Schools,  Families,  and  Clubs.  With  Introductions  and  Notes  on 
each  Play.  12mo.  Cloth.  636-678  pages  per  volume.  By  mail,  per 
volume,  $1.40;  for  introduction,  $1.25.  The  plays  included  in  the  three 
volumes  respectively  are  indicated  by  figures  in  the  above  list. 

Shakespeare 's  Complete  Works.   Harvard  Edition. 

By  Henry  N.  Hudson,  LL.D.  In  Twenty  Volumes,  12mo,  two  plays  in 
each  volume.  Retail  price:  Cloth,  $25.00;  half  calf,  $55.00.  Also  in 
Ten  Volumes,  of  four  plays  each.  Retail  price:  Cloth,  $20.00;  half 
calf,  $40.00. 

Buyers  should  be  careful  not  to  confound  the  Harvard  Shakespeare 
with  an  old  edition  made  in  1851  and  still  sold  by  another  house. 

PT!HIS  is  pre-eminently  the  edition  for  libraries,  students,  and 
general  readers.  The  type,  paper,  and  binding  are  attractive 
and  superior,  and  the  introductions  and  notes  represent  the  editor's 
ripest  thought. 

The  first  volume  contains  the  Burbage  portrait  and  a  life  of  the 
poet.  The  history  of  each  play  is  given  in  its  appropriate  volume. 
The  plays  are  arranged  in  three  distinct  series  :  Comedies,  His- 
tories, and  Tragedies ;  and  the  plays  of  each  series  presented,  as 
nearly  as  may  be,  in  the  chronological  order  of  the  writing. 

An  obvious  merit  of  this  edition  is  that  each  volume  has  tvvo 
sets  of  notes ;  one  mainly  devoted  to  explaining  the  text,  and 
placed  at  the  foot  of  the  page ;  the  other  mostly  occupied  with 
matters  of  textual  comment  and  criticism,  and  printed  at  the  end 
of  each  play.     The  edition  is  thus  admirably  suited  to  the  uses 


HIGHER   ENGLISH. 


23 


both  of  the  general  reader  and  of  the  special  student.  General 
readers  prefer  to  have  explanations  directly  before  them;  and  in 
at  least  nine  cases  out  of  ten  they  will  pass  over  an  obscure  word 
or  phrase  or  allusion  without  understanding  it,  rather  than  look 
up  the  explanation  in  another  volume  or  another  part  of  the  same 
volume.  Often,  too,  in  case  the  explanation  be  not  directly  at 
hand,  they  will  go  elsewhere  in  quest  of  it,  and  then  find,  after 
all,  that  the  editor  has  left  the  matter  unexplained  ;  whereas,  with 
foot-notes,  they  will  see  at  once  how  the  matter  stands,  and  will 
be  spared  the  labor  and  vexation  of  a  fruitless  search. 

Mr.  Hudson's  notes  are  always  fresh  and  original,  aiming  to 
give  the  pupil  such  help  as  he  needs  for  a  thorough  understanding 
of  the  poet's  meaning  rather  than  for  the  technical  teaching  of 
philology.  It  was  always  Mr.  Hudson's  wish  to  bring  his  students 
into  close  communion  with  the  author.  If  he  could  accomplish 
that,  his  great  object  was  secured,  and  anything  that  would  tend 
to  distract  the  attention  of  the  pupil  to  foreign  matters  he  con- 
sidered a  very  great  mistake.  While  studying  Shakespeare,  his 
desire  was  to  understand  him,  and  not  to  make  him  the  subject 
for  the  teaching  of  the  English  language. 


OPINIONS    OF    NOTED    SHAKESPEARIANS. 


Horace  Howard  Furness :  A  noble 
edition,  with  happy  mingle  of  illus- 
tration, explanation,  and  keen,  sub- 
tle, sympathetic  criticism. 

E.  P.  Whipple:  Hudson's  is  the 
most  thoughtful  and  intelligent  in- 
terpretative criticism  which  has, 
during  the  present  century,  been 
written,  either  in  English  or  German. 

Professor  Dowden :  Hudson's  edi- 


tion takes  its  place  beside  the  best 
work  of  English  Shakespeare  stu- 
dents. 

Dr.  A.  P.  Peabody:  I  regard  the 
edition  as  unequalled  in  Shakespear- 
ian scholarship,  and  in  its  worth  in 
the  library  and  for  current  use. 

Prof.  C.  T.  "Winchester:  It  seems 
to  me,  without  question,  the  best 
edition  now  printed. 


Life,  Art,  and  Characters  of  Shakespeare. 


By  Henry  N.  Hudson,  LL.D.,  Editor  of  The  Harvard  Shakespeare,  etc.. 
In  2  vols.  12mo.  1003  pages.  Uniform  in  size  and  binding  with  The 
Harvard  Shakespeare.  Retail  prices:  Cloth,  $4,00;  half-calf,  $8.00. 
Besides  the  topics  mentioned  in  the  title,  this  work  treats  of  the  origin 
and  growth  ot  the  English  drama  and  of  Shakespeare's  contemporaries. 


M 


HIGHER  ENGLISH. 


Other  Works  by  Dr.  Hudson. 


See  also  English  Literature  Pamphlets  below. 
Classical  English  Reader. 

Selections  of  the  choicest  prose  and  poetry  from  Spenser  to  Longfellow, 
with  notes.    467  pages.    Cloth.    By  mail,  $1.10;  for  introduction,  $L 


F.  J.  Child,  Prof,  of  English  in 
Harvard  University  :  A  boy '  who 
knew  this  book  as  well  as  boys  who 


are  good  for  anything  generally  know 
their  readers,  might  almost  be  said 
to  be  liberally  educated. 


Essays  on  Education,  English  Studies,  and  Shakespeare. 
Paper.    118  pages.    By  mail,  and  for  introduction,  25  cents. 

Text-Book  of  Poetry. 

Selections  from  Wordsworth,  Coleridge,  Burns,  Beattie,  Goldsmith,  and 
Thomson.  With  Lives  and  Notes.  Cloth.  704  pages.  By  mail,  $  1.40; 
for  introduction,  $1.25. 

Text-Book  of  Prose. 

Selections  from  Burke,  Webster,  and  Bacon.  With  Lives  and  Notes 
Cloth.    648  pages.     By  mail,  $1.40;  for  introduction,  $1.25. 

Shakespeare  and  Chaucer  Examinations. 

Edited,  with  some  remarks  on  the  "  Class-Room  Study  of  Shakespeare," 
by  William  Taylor  Thom,  M.A.,  recently  Professor  of  English  in 
Hollins  Institute,  Va.  Square  16mo.  Cloth.  34(5  pages.  Mailing  price 
$1.10;  for  introduction,  $1.00. 

^PHTS  volume  contains,  beside  other  interesting  and  valuable  mat 
ter,   examinations   on   Hamlet    (two),   Macbeth,   King  Lear, 
Othello,  and  The  Merchant  of  Venice,  with  a  Chaucer  examination 
set  chiefly  by  Professor  Child  of  Harvard  University,  and  based 
upon  The  Prologue,  The  Knight's  Tale,  and  The  Nun's  Priest's  Tale. 

W.  M.  Baskervill,  Prof,  in  Vander- 
bilt  University :  We  heartily  recom- 
mend these  examinations   to  teach- 


ers. They  are  full  of  suggestive 
information.  They  will  serve  as 
admirable  models. 


Introduction  to  the  Poetry  of  Robert  Browning. 

By  William  John  Alexander,  Ph.D.,  Munro  Professor  of  the  English 
Language  and  Literature,  University  of  Toronto,  and  formerly  Fellow 
of  j.hns  Hopkins  University.  12mo.  Cloth,  v  +  212  pages.  Mailing 
Price,  $1.10  ;  for  introduction,  $1.00. 


F.  J.  Furnivall,  Founder  of  the 
original  Browning  Society  :  I  think 
ytrar  estimate  of  Browning  and  your 


analysis  of  his  limitations  and  their 
causes  are  the  best  and  truest  yet 
made.    {From  a  letter  to  the  author.) 


HIGHER  ENGLISH. 

English  Literature  Pamphlets. 

A  LL  of  these  are  printed  in  good  type,  on  good  paper,  and  have 

been  judiciously  annotated  for  the  use  of  students.    All  are  of 

12mo  size.     The  first  of  the  prices  given  below  is  the  mailing  price, 

and  the  second  the  introductory.     The  name  of  the  editor  is  in 

brackets. 

Burke.     [Hudson.] 

I.  Five  Speeches  and  ten  Papers.    20  cents ;  15  cents. 
II.  Life.    A  Letter  to  a  Noble  Lord,  and  eleven  Extracts.   20  cents; 
15  cents. 

Webster.     [Hudson.] 

I.   Reply  to  Hayne,  and  six  Extracts.    20  cents  ;  15  cents. 

II.  Life,  and  extracts  from  twenty-five  Speeches.  20  cents ;  15  cents. 
Webster.     [Montgomery.]     First  Bunker  Hill  Address,  with  Life.    12 

cents ;  10  cents. 

Bacon.  [Hudson.]  Life,  and  Extracts  from  thirty  Essays.  20  cents; 
15  cents. 

Wordsworth.     [Hudson.] 

I.  Life.  The  Prelude,  and  thirty -three  Poems.  20  cents;  15  cents. 
II.   Sixty  Poems  and  Sonnets.     20  cents  ;  15  cents. 

Coleridge  and  Burns.  [Hudson.]  Lives,  and  forty-five  Poems.  20 
cents ;  15  cents. 

Coleridge.     [Hudson.]     The  Ancient  Mariner.    6  cents ;  5  cents. 

Addison  and  Goldsmith.  [Hudson.]  Lives,  fifteen  Papers  from  Addi- 
son, eleven  Prose  Selections  from  Goldsmith,  with  The  Deserted 
Village.     20  cents ;  15  cents. 

Macau/ay.  [Montgomery.]  Essay  on  Clive,  with  Life.  20  cents ;  15  cents. 
Macaulay.     [Montgomery.]     Second  Fissay  on  the  Earl  of  Chatham, 
with  Life.    20  cents ;  15  cents. 

Craik's  English  of  Shakespeare. 

Illustrated  in  a  Philological  Commentary  on  Julius  Caesar.  By  George 
L.  Craik,  Queen's  College,  Belfast.  Edited,  from  the  third  revised 
London  edition,  by  W.  J.  Rolfe,  Cambridge,  Mass.  12mo.  Cloth.  400 
pages.    Mailing  Price,  $  1. 00;  Introduction,  90  cents. 

A  N  exposition  in  regard  both  to  the  language  or  style  of  Shake* 

speare,  and  to  the  English  language  generally. 


Shakspere's  Versification. 


Notes  on  Shakspere's  Versification,  with  Appendix  on  the  Verse  Tests 
and  a  short  Descriptive  Bibliography.  By  George  H.  Browne.  A.M. 
12mo.    Paper.    34  pages.    Price,  interleaved,  25  cents. 


HIGHER    ENGLISH. 

The  Classic  Myths  in  English  Literature. 

Based  chiefly  on  Buliinch's  "  Age  of  Fable."  Accompanied  by  an  inter- 
pretative and  illustrative  commentary.  Edited  by  Charles  Mills 
Gayley,  Professor  of  the  English  Language  and  Literature,  Univer- 
sity of  California.  12mo.  Half  leather,  xxxviii  +  540  pages.  Mailing 
price,  $1.05;  for  introduction,  $1.50. 

rpHIS  work  is  recommended  both  as  the  Lest  manual  of  mythol- 
ogy and  as  indispensable  to  the  student  of  English  literature. 
Some  special  features  are  : 

1.  An  introduction  on  the  indebtedness  of  English  poetry  to 
the  literature  of  fable,  and   on  methods  of  teaching  mythology. 

2.  An  elementary  account  of  myth-making  and  of  the  prin- 
cipal poets  of  mythology,  and  of  the  beginnings  of  the  world,  of 
gods  and  of  men  among  the  Greeks. 

3.  A  thorough  revision  and  systematization  of  Buliinch's 
Stories  of  Gods  and  Heroes:  with  additional  stories,  and  with 
selections  from  English  poems  based  upon  the  myths. 

4.  Illustrative  cuts  from  Baumeister,  Roscher,  and  other 
standard  authorities  on  mythology. 

5.  The  requisite  maps. 

6.  Certain  necessary  modifications  in  Bulfinch's  treatment  of 
the  mythology  of  nations  other  than  the  Greeks  and  Romans. 

7.  Notes,  following  the  text  (as  in  the  school  editions  of  Latin 
and  Greek  authors),  containing  an  historical  and  interpretative 
commentary  upon  certain  myths,  supplementary  poetical  cita- 
tions, a  list  of  the  better  known  allusions  to  mythological  fiction, 
references  to  works  of  art,  and  hints  to  teachers  and  students. 


Albert  S.  Cook,  Professor  of  the 
English  Language  and  Literature, 
Yale  University :  I  can  cordially  rec- 
ommend it  to  colleges  and  schools. 
It  is  scholarly,  attractive,  stimu- 
lating, and  refining. 

C.  K.  Adams,  President  Univer- 
sity of  Wisconsin:  An  admirable 
volume.  It  is  just  what  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  students  need. 

William  T.  Harris,  United  States 
Commissioner  of  Education:   It  is 


the  most  satisfactory  book  yet  pub- 
lished on  this  theme.  .  .  .  Every 
reader  of  literature  should  have 
this  book  within  reach  on  his 
table. 

Katharine  Lee  Bates,  Professor 
of  English  Literature,  Wellesley  Col- 
lege: It  is  well  worth  doing  and 
well  done. 

F.  J.  Miller,  Professor  of  Latin, 
University  of  Chicago:  I  am  more 
than  charmed  with  it. 


28 


HIGHER    ENGLISH. 


Choice  Readings  from   Popular  and  Standard 

Authors. 

Compiled  aud  arranged  by  Robert  I.  Fultox,  A.M.,  Professor  of 
Elocution  and  Oratory  in  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University,  and  Thomas  C. 
Trueblood,  A.M.,  Professor  of  Elocution  and  Oratory  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan.  Seventh  edition.  12mo.  729  pages.  By  mail,  $1.65 ; 
for  introduction,  $1.50.  Presentation  edition,  stamped  cover,  full  gilt, 
fine  paper,  $4.00  retail. 

TTS  distinctive  feature  is  the  number,  variety,  and  interest  of  the 
pieces,  classified  according  to  their  character,  and  covering  the 
entire  range  of  available  selections.  Indexes  are  given  to  the  best 
scenes  from  all  the  plays  of  Shakespeare,  139  choice  readings  from 
the  Bible,  and  159  hymns,  —  all  classified.  A  complete  diagram 
of  the  principles  of  vocal  expression  is  added. 


J.  W.  Churchill,  Prof,  of  Elocu- 
tion, Theological  Seminary,  An- 
dover,  Mass. :  The  excellent  purpose 
of  the  authors  has  been  very  success- 
fully accomplished,  both  in  the  ex- 
pository and  illustrative  material. 

H.  M.  Ticknor,  Prof,  of  Elocution, 
Boston :  I  approve  heartily  of  Fulton 
aud  Trueblood's  book  of  selections. 


B.  C.  Burt,  Asst.-Prof.  of  English, 
and  Rhetoric,  Michigan  University , 
Ann  A?'bor:  I  do  not  know  that  I 
have  ever  seen  anything  better  of  its 
kind.  In  its  700  pages  is  stowed 
away,  neatly  and  compactly,  a  large 
amount  of  good  reading,  —  good  not 
only  for  elocutionary,  but  also  for 
literary  purposes. 


Chart  Illustrating  the  Principles  of  Vocal  Ex- 

press/on. 

By  Robert  I.  Fultox,  A.M.,  and  Thomas  C.  Trueblood,  A.M. 
Printed  oil  extra  tough  paper,  3ti  X  (>0  inches,  bound  on  the  edges,  and 
mounted.    Retail  price,  $2.00.    Special  introduction  terms  on  application. 

Richard  Parsons,  Prof,  of  Greek,  G.  L.  Raymond,  Prof,  of  Oratory 

Ohio  Wesleyan  University:  It  is  re-  and  ^Esthetic  Criticism,  College  of 

markably  clear,  full,  and  suggestive.  New  Jersey,  Princeton,  N.J.:  It  is 

As  a  guide  to  the  possibilities  of  vocal  the  best  thing  of  the  kind  that  I  have 

delivery  it  is  simply  incomparable.  ever  seen. 


The  College  Critic's  Tablet 


By  Robert  I.  Fultox,  A.M.,  and  Thomas  C.  Trueblood,  A.M.  For 
use  in  Literary  Societies,  Lyceums,  and  Classes  in  English,  Elocution, 
and  Oratory.  4to.  ii-t-174  pages.  Tablet  form.  Mailing  price,  70 
cents;  for  introduction,  00  cents. 

James  W.  Bashf ord,  Pres.  Ohio  .  will  prove  fruitful  of  suggestions  and 
Wesleyan   University :    The   Tablet '  frugal  of  time  to  every  college  critic. 


A  REVOLUTION  IN  SCHOOL  READING 


HAS    BEEN    WROUGHT    BY    THE    USE    OK    THE 

Classics  for  Children 


The  books  in  this  carefully  edited  series  are  widely  used 
in  place  of  the  ordinary  Reading  Books  in  the  upper  grades 
of  the  Grammar  Schools  and  in  the  High  Schools.  They 
are  also  used  as  Supplementary  Readers  in  hundreds  of 
schools   throughout  the   country, 

DESIGN  — 

To  supply  material  for  practice  in  reading,  form  a  taste  for 
good  literature,  and  increase  the  mental  power  of  the  pupils  by 
providing  them  with  the  best  works  of  standard  authors,  complete 
as  far  as  possible,  and  judiciously  annotated. 

AUTHORSHIP  — 

Varied,  and  of  world-wide  reputation.  In  the  list  of  authors 
are  Shakespeare,  Ruskin,  Scott,  Irving,  Goldsmith,  Johnson, 
Franklin,  Andersen,  Kingsley,  De  Foe,  Swift,  Arnold,  and  Lamb. 

EDITORS  — 

Of  recognized  ability  and  discriminating  taste.  Among  them 
are  John  Fiske,  Edward  Everett  Hale,  Henry  N.  Hudson, 
Charlotte  M.  Yonge,  John  Tetlow,  Homer  B.  Sprague,  D.  H. 
Montgomery,  Edwin  Ginn,  W.  H.  Lambert,  Alfred  J.  Church, 
Dwight  Holbrook,  J.  H.  Stickney,  Margaret  A.  Allen,  and 
Mary    S.  Avery. 

INDORSED   BY 

Teachers,  Superintendents,  Librarians,  eminent  Literary 
Authorities,   and  the  Educational  Press. 


CLASSICS    FOR    CHILDREN. 


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Hans  Andersen's  Fairy  Tales. 

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*Ruskin  's  King  of  the  Golden  River :  A  Legend  of  Stiria. 
*The  Swiss  Family  Robinson.     Abridged. 

Robinson  Crusoe.     Concluding  with  his  departure  from  the  island. 
*Kingsley's  Greek  Heroes.    Franci lion's  Gods  and  Heroes. 

Lamb 's  Tales  from  Shakespeare.     "  Meas.  for  Meas."  omitted. 

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Tom  Brown  at  Rugby.     Lord  Chesterfield's  Letters. 

Church 's  Stories  of  the  Old  World. 

Scott's  Talisman.     Complete. 

Scott's  Quentin  Durward.     Slightly  abridged. 

Irving 's  Sketch  Book.     Six  selections,  including  '•  Rip  Van  Winkle.* 

Shakespeare's  Merchant  of  Venice. 

Scott's  Guy  Mannering.     Complete. 

Scott's  Ivan  hoe.     Complete.        Scott's  Rob  Roy.     Complete. 

Johnson 's  Rasselas,   Prince  of  Abyssinia. 

Gulliver's  Travels.     The  Voyages  to  Lilliput  and  Brobdingnag. 

Plutarch 's  Lives.     From  Clough's  Translation. 

Irving-Fiske's  Washington  and  His  Country. 

Goldsmith's  Vicar  of  Wakefield. 
*Franktin:  His  Life  by  Himself. 

Selections  from  Ruskin. 
*Hafe's  Arabian  Nights.     Heroic  Ballads. 

Grote  and  Segur's  Two  Great  Retreats. 

Irving' s  Alhambra.    Selections  for  Memorizing. 

Scott's  Marmion.     Scott's  Old  Mortality. 

Don  Quixote.    Thoughts  of  Marcus  Aure/ius  Antoninus.    Epictetus. 


Starred  books  are  illustrated. 


CINN    &    COMPANY,   Publishers, 

BOSTON,  NEW  YORK,  AND  CHICAGO. 


CLASSICS    FOR    CHILDREN. 

Choice    Literature ;    Judicious    Notes ;    Large    Type ;    Firm 
Binding ;    Low    Prices. 


Hans  Andersen's  Fairy  Tales. 

*  First  Series:  Supplementary  to  the  ThI  \\  Reader. 

*  Second  Series:  Supplementary  to  the  ,*  >*:.  ih  Reader. 
*/E$op's  Fables,  with  selections  from  Krilof  and  T.-a  tontaine. 
*Kingsley  's  Water-Babies :  A  story  for  a  Land  Baby. 
*Ruskin's  King  of  the  Golden  Qiver:  A  Legend  of  Stina. 
*The  Swiss  Family  Robinson.     Abridged. 

Robinson  Crusoe.     Concluding  with  his  departure  from  the  island. 
*Kingsley's  Greek  Heroes.     Franci) Ion's  Gods  and  Heroes. 

Lamb's  Tales  from  Shakespeare.     " Meas.  for  Meas."  omitted. 

Scott's  Tales  of  a  Grandfather. 
*Martineau's  Feasant  and  Prince. 

Bunyan's  Pilgrim's  Progress. 

Scott's  Laiy  of  the  Lake.    Scott's  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel, 

Lamo  •>  Adventures  of  Ulysses.  I 

Tom  Brown  at  Rugby.     Lord  Chesterfield's  Letters. 

Church 's  Stories  of  the  Old  World. 

Scott's  Talisman.     Complete. 

Scott's  Quentin  Durward.     Slightly  abridged. 

*rYi..j's  Sketch  Book.     Six  selections,  ^eluding  4,T?ip  Van  Winkle.* 

Shakespeare's  Merchant  of  If  en  ice. 

Scott's  Guy  Manneri <>g.     Complete. 

Scotr  s  f/anhci.     Comp'cte.        Scott's  Rob  Roy.     Complete. 

Johncur'b  Rasselas,   1'rince  of  Abyssinia. 

Gulliver  s   Tiavels.     The  Voyages  to  Lilliput  and  Bi</i.-din(  .ag. 

Pia'ar-    's  V  es.     From  Clough's  Translation. 

frving-Fiaki  s  Washington  and  His  Country. 

Goldsmith's  Vicar  of  Wakefield. 
*Krrankfin:  His  Life  by  Himself. 

Selections  from  Ruskin. 
*H ale's  Arabian  Nights.     Heroic  Ballads. 

Grote  and  Segur's  Two  Great  Retreats. 

Irving' s  A/hambra.    Selections  for  Memorizing. 

Scott's  Marmion.     Scott's  Old  Mortality. 

Don  Quixote.    Thoughts  of  Marcus  Aurelijs  Anton,  ius.    Fpictntus. 


Starred  books  are  illustrated. 


CINN    &    COMPANY,   Publishers, 

BOSTON,  NEW  YORK,  AND  CHICAGO. 


